tihvavy  of  Che  trheolojical  ^emmarjp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

Rufus  H.  LeFevre 

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CONTAINING 


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men  ani  momen  actbe  ant)  nsefnl  in 
Cljrlsttan  WDork. 


BY  RHY.  MARION  R.   DRURY,  A.  M. 


DAYTON,    OHIO: 

W.J.  SHUEY,  Fublisfcier. 


PREFACE. 


The  anniversaries  of  our  birth  are  among  the  happy  days  of  life. 
They  furnish  occasions  for  family  reunions,  social  gatherings,  expressions 
of  affedlion  and  esteem,  and  the  bestowment  of  gifts,  together  with  the 
narration  of  pleasing  reminiscences.  Hence  it  is  that  a  book  in  which  to 
chronicle  the  birthdays  of  friends  soon  acquires  an  interest  and  value 
which  attach  to  but  few  other  books.  In  the  course  of  years  such  a  book 
becomes  a  treasure  whose  worth  is  above  computation. 

Then,  too,  the  modern  birthday  book,  unlike  those  of  former  times,  has 
become  the  receptacle  of  the  choicest  utterances  of  noble  thinkers  and 
adlors.     This  gives  to  such  a  volume  intrinsic  and  pradlical  worth. 

The  design  of  the  compiler  of  this  book  has  been  to  put  upon  every 
page  some  word  of  wisdom,  some  inspiring  sentiment,  or  some  suggest- 
ive thoiight  which  will  contribute  worthy  incentives  to  an  earnest  and  use- 
ful life.  Such  words,  sentiments,  and  thoughts  abound  in  the  following 
pages,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  all  who  come  to  possess  the  book  may 
find  many  promptings  to  a  strong  and  hearty  purpose  to  walk  in  the  ways 
of  virtue  and  true  nobility. 

The  autographs  of  a  few  persons  are  given  under  the  dates  of  their 
birth,  thus  serving  to  show  how  the  names  of  friends  may  be  recorded  in 
the  blank  spaces  of  the  book.  The  names  of  nearly  two  hundred  others, 
who  are  widely  known  in  consequence  of  their  Christian  charaAer  and 
usefulness,  are  printed  under  the  dates  of  their  birth.  The  book  is  in- 
tended as  an  autograph  album  as  well  as  a  book  for  birthday  records,  and 
will  make  a  most  suitable  holiday  or  birthday  present.  There  is  some- 
thing in  it  for  everybody,  old  and  young,  something  helpful  and  good  for 
eveiy  day  in  the  year. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  name  of  a  great  and  good  man  deserves  immortality.  Such  a  man 
was  Bishop  Philip  William  Otterbein  —  talented,  scholarly,  and  abundant  in 
labors.  Though  dead  for  more  than  three -score  and  ten  years,  he  still 
speaks,  and  to-day  lives  in  the  affe(5lions  of  grateiul  thousands,  who  ten- 
derly cherish  the  memory  of  his  long  and  fruitful  life. 

In  1812  Bishop  Francis  Asbury,  an  intimate  friend  and  co- laborer,  paid 
this  high  tribute  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  standing  and  character:  "He  is  one  of 
the  best  scholars  and  greatest  divines  in  America." 

When  Bishop  Asbury  received  the  ?,ad  news  of  the  death  of  his  friend 
and  trusted  counselor,  he  exclaimed,  "Is  Father  Otterbein  dead?  Great 
and  good  man  of  God!  An  honor  to  his  church  and  his  country.  One  of 
the  greatest  scholars  and  divines  that  ever  came  to  America,  or  born  in  it." 

A  few  months  later  Bishop  Asbury  visited  Baltimore,  and  by  special  re- 
quest preached  a  sermon  of  great  tenderness  in  memory  of  "the  holy,  the 
great  Otterbein."  Speaking  of  this  occasion  in  his  journal,  Mr.  Asbury 
says:  "Forty  yeai'S  have  I  known  the  retiring  modesty  of  this  man  of  God, 
towering  majestic  above  his  fe.41ows  in  learning,  wisdom,  and  grace,  yet 
seeking  to  be  known  only  to  God  and  the  people  of  God." 

Dr.  Daniel  Zacharias,  a  noted  and  influential  minister  in  the  Reformed 
Church,  wrote  in  1847  the  following:  "Mr.  Otterbein  was  a  ripe  scholar, 
and  a  devoted  and  pious  mau,  who  lived  in  God  and  God  in  him.  By  his 
agency  a  new  life  was  broug  nt  into  the  church,  at  first  as  a  mustard  -  seed, 
but  later  as  a  tree  whose  branches  afforded  a  grateful  resting  -  place  to 
many.  He  was  respected  -and  revered  even  bj'  those  who  disapproved  of 
his  measures,  and  throughout  life  his  charadler  stood  unsullied  by  a  single 
stain." 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  D.  Kurtz  ( )f  the  Lutheran  Church,  Otterbein's  friend,  and 
for  twenty -seven  years  "  lis  co- laborer  in  Baltimore,  preached  a  discourse 
in  German  at  his  funeral,   from  Matt,  xx:  8 — "Call  the  laborers  and  give 

5 


INTRODUCTION. 

them  their  hire."  It  was  a  fitting  text  for  one  that  had  spent  sixty -five 
years  in  the  ministry. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Kurtz,  years  afterward,  wrote:  "  Otterbein,  that  true  and 
2|.^jng-  witness,  whose  memory  I  hold  dear  and  cherish  in  my  heart  of 
hearts  '^^^  ^'■'^^  laboring  in  faith  and  patience  when  I  commenced  preach- 
ing the  ^°''P°^!  but 'a  short  time  before  my  arrival  in  Baltimore  the  Master 
had  called  ^^"^  home.  The  pious  part  of  the  community  still  delighted  in 
calling  to  miVi^  ^i^  undlious  sermons,  his  holy  walk  and  conversation,  and 
his  wonderful  .s't.'^cess  in  winning  sinners  from  the  error  of  their  ways. 
-;■:■     •;•;-     *     He  was  a  t'^holar  as  well  as  a  saint." 

Bishop  J.  Weaver  s^vs,  "The  memory  of  such  a  life  as  Otterbein  lived 
and  the  work  he  perform'^  should  never  be  lost." 

It  is  to   the  memory  of  Jiis   eminent,   pious,  and    useful   man  that  this 

book  is  gratefully  dedicated. 

^  THK   COMPILER 


IMI 


A   NEW -YEAR  VISION. 

Midway  between  the  evening  and  the  morning  star 

There  swung,  heaven -poised,  a  white- winged  scroll  of  time, 

Shedding  resplendent  gleams  of  promise  from  a^ar 
Of  deeds  great  grown  through  purposes  sublime. 

Above,  an  angel's  face,  emerged  from  heavenly  light, 
Smiled,  as  he  held  the  scroll  and  floated  down. 

Alluring,  while  he  broke  the  hidden  bolts  of  night. 
Each  child  of  earth  to  win  celestial  crown. 

Beneath,  dark -shaded,  bidder,  from  the  light  above. 

Another  lurked  so  vile  'twere  base  to  name, 
With  eyes  fast  set  in  hellish  greed,  and  ceaseless  strove 

All  good  and  impulse  holy  to  defame. 

Of  countless  throng  ctime  each  upon  the  scroll  to  trace 

One  line  of  life,  cf  good  or  evil  done; 
Nor  pure  and  true,  nor  false  and  vile,  could  aught  efface  — 

The  record  mare  was  an  eternal  one. 

Immense  diversity  of  lives,  concentering  all. 

And  blending  multitudes  of  right  or  wrong; 
Each  heeding  now  the  angel's  or  the  demon's  call. 

Allying  thus  with  good  or  godless  throng. 

One  poor,  disconsolate,  and  wandering  wearied  child 

Bowed  lovily  at  the  scroll  ere  he  begun; 
And  tears  and  praj^ers  outpoured,  till  bright  the  angel  smiled. 

And  took  the  trembling  hand  and  traced  "well  done." 


C.  M.  Hott. 


THE  NEW  YEAR. 

Good -by,    Old  Year.    Welcome   New  Year.     We   say  good -by  because 

we  must,  and  because  we  love  to  do  so.     We  rush  on.     The  tide  of  events 

•^nd  the  current  of  our  lives  and  sympathies  are  onward  forever.     The  new 

•  stands  at  the  door.      We   gather  up   our   feet   and  press  from  the  old 
year.  &  t- 

^     ^,      new.      We   love   to  do  so  because  our  bosoms  swell  with  life.      We 
to  the 

,  J       >  because  time  turns  its  cycles  and  we  can  not  resist  its  changes, 
must  do  so  -^  , 

.ne  as   this   the   heart  will  be   chastened   by  the    remembrance 
At  such  a  til  .  ,•  ,     J        J 

nperformed  and  many  resolves   still  unaccomplished  and 
of  many  vows   u.  .  ,  , 

,  ,  nrealized.      It  will  be  of  no  service  to  try  to  place  the 

many  good  hopes  u  ..,,,, 

,     ,  Enough   of  the   fault  lies  with  self;    and   as    for 

blame  here  and  there.  .  .  , 

rh  to  bear  without  our  imposing  more  upon  them, 
others,   they  have    enout 

^    ,     .  .        ,  ,       ^  do  well  to  escape  it  for  a  better  future. 

God  pities  the  past,  and  wt 

/.  IV.  Hott. 


otterbein' 

.^ „ ^       ,    .  ,.    .        .  '^ed   by  those   qualities  that, 

Phillip  William    Otterbem    was   distmguisl  .  ,  ^       . 

,  ,.        1     ,  denominated  great.      Provi- 

wherever  found,  the   consent  of  mankind  has  v  ,  ,    . 

-,.,,.     r^ .  .  r  of  Otterbem.      His  per- 

dential  direction  is  plainly  manifest  in  the  caret 

.  .  1- movement  among  the 

sonal   experience,    his   position   toward   the   reviva 

^  .  .  ,      .  this   movement  into  a 

Germans   in   America,  and   his   part   in   ore-anizinsr       ...         r,        .   , 
,      ^  .  o  &    -i^jjg  jj^g  charadter,  tal- 

church,  furnish  the  leading  points  in  his  career.     W- 

:ause  us  to  honor  his 
ents,  scholarship,  and  successful  labors  of  Otterbein  i    ,         ,  ,  .    ,.^  , 

'Its  of  his  life-work 

name,  we  may  also  rejoice  in   that  the   surviving-  resu   ,  .      ._        ^ 

.  *  the  most  significant 

have  the   authority   of  providential  sanctions.     One  of.  ,  ,  , 

has  been   pleased 
and    assuring   utterances   of  Otterbein  was,    "The   lyord  , 

graciously  to  satisfy  me  fully  that  the  work  will  abide.' 

A.  IF.  Drury. 


January  i. 


^/^C^^lZaJ^  ^^^t^ci^  ^iyLtQ^ 


January  2. 


BISHOP    OTTERBEIN. 

He  is  now  more  favorably  known  than  he  was  at  the  day  of  his  death. 

It  is  known  that  Otterbein  left  but   few  written   documents  behind  him  to 

speak  of  the  vigor  of  his  intellecfl,  or  the   purity  of  his  life.      It  is  a  fadl, 

however,  that,  although  unconscious   to   himself,  he  wrote  his  name  upon 

the  hearts  of  unborn  generations.     It  is  not  the  books  that  Luther,  Calvin, 

or  Wesley  wrote  that  cause  their  names  to  be  so  dear  to  Christians  of  the 

present   generation.       It  is   true   their   writings   extended   their   usefulness, 

both   before   and   after  death,  but  their   fame  rests  upon  something  more 

permanent   than   books.       They,    like    OtterbeirJ^    possessed    the    nameless 

power,  while  living,  to  make  an  impress,  not  only  upon  their  countrymen, 

but  upon  humanity  itself 

L.  Davis. 


ADVICE  TO   YOUNG   MEN. 

I  beg  you  to  settle  your  course  on  high  moral  principles.  In  choosing 
what  you  shall  do  ask  one  question,  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do?"  Deal  honestly  with  your  souls  and  your  Savior.  As  you  love  your- 
selves and  care  for  heaven,  let  your  decision  of  this  great  question  be  hon- 
estly settled  now.  Do  not  move  without  God.  Shun  no  responsibilities, 
no  sacrifice,  if  he  impose  them.  Dream  of  no  success,  no  honor,  no  enjoy- 
ments, without  his  sanation.  Run  lawfully  if  you  would  be  crowned. 
Take  with  you  into  life  the  great  principles  of  the  gospel.  Abide  by  them. 
They  are  strong,  and  will  uphold  the  weakest;  they  are  enduring,  and  will 
last  to  the  end.  Lean  upon  them;  build  upon  them;  trust  them.  Trust 
them  with  all  the  heart  and  with  all  the  soul,  and  then  be  sure  "the  gates 

of  hell"  can  not  j^revail  against  you. 

J.  J.   Glossbrenner. 


January  3. 
Bishop  Henry  Kumler,  sen.,  1775.         Rev.  William  Davis,  1812. 


January  4. 


THE   WONDROUS   GIFT. 

Oil !  how  vast  the  difference  between  the  overwhelming  gift  of  grace  in 
Christ,  to  us,  and  our  gift  of  a  portion  of  our  money  for  the  purpose  of  the 
spread  of  the  light  and  truth  of  God  far  and  wide,  even  to  Africa's  down- 
trodden and  degraded  millions,  to  those  on  the  frontier  or  anywhere  else. 
The  field  is  the  world,  the  whole  world. 

J.  Markwood,  i8^^. 


THE   CHURCH   AT  PRAYER. 

There  is  scarcely  a  more  solemn  and  beautiful  sight  than  an  assembly 
of  Christians,  all  bowed  before  the  mercy -seat  in  earnest,  fervent  prayer; 
all  confessing  their  guilt,  their  helplessness,  and  entire  dependence  upon 
the  divine  vSavior  for  salvation.  It  is  a  sight  that  moves  heaven  and  earth. 
Angels  look  on  with  delight,  and  God  himself  smiles  in  approbation,  lift- 
ing the  cloud  from  the  burdened  soul,  and  making  the  place  luminous  as 
with  the  light  of  heaven.  Sinners,  too,  and  those  who  are  skeptical  on  the 
subject  of  revealed  religion,  are  often  struck  dumb  in  the  presence  of  such 

a  scene. 

D.  Edu<a7'ds,   1S62. 


January  5. 
Rev.  Henry  Kephart,  1S02. 


January  6. 
Rev.  M.  P.  Doyle,  li 


TO    YOUNG    CHRISTlANvS.     • 

Beware  how  you  enter  the  dominions  of  your  adversary.  Confess  your 
L,ord  and  Master  at  all  times  and  on  every  occasion  when  and  where  ex- 
pedient and  necessary.  To  do  so,  let  all  the  world  know  that  you  are  on 
the  Lord's  side  and  determined  to  be  a  humble  follower  of  the  L,ord  Jesus; 
but  never  unnecessafily  enter  into  any  disputes,  on  religious  subje(5ls,  with 
the  ungodly,  or  such  persons  as  do  not  enjoy  the  life  and  power  of  re- 
ligion. You  may  be  enticed  to  the  combat  to  gratify  your  vanity  in  expos- 
ing to  view  the  proficiency  you  have  made  in  religion,  or  you  may  think 
more  highly  than  you  ought  to,  of  your  talent,  power,  and  dexterity  to 
combat  your  enemy.  Rely  upon  it,  if  you  are  not  wholly  conquered  and 
subdued  you  will  at  least  carry  awaj'  some  wounds,  or  receive  some  stabs 
injurious  to  your  peace  of  mind  and  without  application  to  the  Physician 

of  souls,  they  may  prove  mortal. 

Christian  Newcomer. 


THE   POWER   OF   LOVE. 

"Lovest  thou  me?"  The  question  is  important  to  all.  It  is  especially 
important  to  the  Christian.  It  stimulates  him  and  gives  him  a  fresh  zeal 
and  a  relish  for  the  discharge  of  all  Christian  duties.  The  good  man  de- 
lights in  religious  duties.  He  loves  his  closet,  he  loves  the  family  altar, 
he  loves  the  place  of  social  prayer,  and  he  loves  to  worship  God  in  the 
great  congregation.  He  loves  to  read  the  Scriptures,  and  he  loves  to  min- 
ister to  the  wants  of  the  needy.  He  loves  to  perform  these  duties  exactly 
in  the  proportion  that  he  loves  Jesus  Christ.  The  sweetest  moments  of 
his  life  are  those  in  which  he  holds  communion  with  his  God  in  the  use 
of  some  means  of  grace;  and  there  is  a  sweetness  in  his  life  and  service 
which  he  could  not  have  but  for  the  fadl  that  he  loves  Jesus  Christ. 

Alexaiider  Oiven. 


H 


January  7. 
Rev.  Isaiah  Potter,  1S19. 


January  8. 
Rev.  David  Kosht,  1S37. 


15 


THE   HIGHEST   CALLING. 

Ministers  should  consider  the  dignity  of  the  position  they  occupy.  They 
move  in  the  same  train  and  labor  with  prophets,  apostles,  and  Jesus  Christ 
himself.  It  is  no  mean  company,  nor  is  it  a  mean  employment.  It  is  the 
highest,  noblest  calling  on  earth.  It  is  not  true  that  James  A.  Garfield 
went  up  to  the  presidency.  He  went  down  from  the  ministry  to  the  White 
House.  When  Andrew  Jackson  was  president  a  minister  called  upon  him 
and  asked  to  be  appointed  to  an  oiEce  which  he  very  much  desired  to  fill. 
The  president  asked  him  what  his  profession  was.  He  replied  that  he  was 
a  minister.  "Well,"  said  the  president,  "you  had  better  hold  on  to  that, 
for  I  have  no  office  within  my  gift  that  will  compare  with  it."  The  old 
hero  was  not  much  of  a  Christian,  but  he  usually  kept  on  hand  a  good 
supply  of  common  sense.  The  prophet  said  that  those  who  turn  many  to 
righteousness  shall  shine  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever.  Those  who  now 
go  forth  weeping,  bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  —  come 
when  the  work  is  done;  come  when  the  conflicft  is  over;  come  in  the  morn- 
ing rejoicing,  bringing  their  sheaves  with  them. 

J.  Weaver. 

THE   TRUE   MANHOOD. 

To  be  a  true  man  is  to  be  one  of  the  noblest  objects  of  God's  creation. 
Some  people  think  that  to  be  a  man  means  to  be  brave,  daring,  chivalrou.s, 
or  self- asserting,  obstinate,  and  reckless.  Some  seem  to  think  it  is  syn- 
onymous with  conventional  politeness,  or  that  it  is  inseparable  from  fine 
clothing  and  display.  Some  even  regard  the  cigar,  the  wine  -  glass,  and 
cards  as  the  distinguishing  marks  of  the  true  man.  Others  make  it  to 
consist  almost  wholly  in  intelledlual  culture  and  accomplishments.  Intel- 
ledlual  culture  and  accomplishments  do  not,  however,  produce  the  highest 
type  of  manhood,  else  might  some  of  the  most  notorious  villains  be  es- 
teemed among  the  finest  gentlemen.  There  is  a  good  deal  that  is  fictitious 
and  merely  conventional  in   the    modern    charadler   popularly   denominated 

a  gentleman. 

J.  P.  Landis. 


i6 


January  9. 
Rev.  S.  Sutton,  1831. 


January  10. 


[2]  17 


RELIGION  AT   HOME. 

The  best  provisions  for  the  body  can  not  satisfy  the  wants  of  the  mind, 

and  the  best  culture  and  feeding  of  the  mind  can  not  meet  the  demands  of 

the  soul.     But  God  has  provided  for  this  our  highest  nature  in  the  gift  of 

his  Son,  bestowing  peace,  joy,  and  hope  through  him.     Without  being  happy 

ourselves,  we  can  not  impart  happiness  to  others ;  and  without  our  higher 

nature  being  in  harmony  with  God,  we  can  not  be  happy.     The  very  nature 

of  religion  is  to  diffuse  itself.      Its  light  is  to  shine,  and  to  shine   first  of 

all  and  most  of  all  in  the  family  home.     And  what  altar  more  sacred  than 

the  family   altar?     "Where    in    all    the    world'  is   religion    so    attradlive,    so 

blessed,  as  at  home  ?    When  those  who  are  so  closely  allied  by  natural  ties, 

—  father,  mother,  brother,  sister, — bend  together  at  the  home  altar,  it  would 

seem  as  if  angels  come  near  to  behold  the   scene,  and  share  in  the  joy  it 

affords. 

J.  Dickson. 


THE   BREVITY   OF  LIFE. 

How  emblematic  and  significant  is  the  flower  of  the  field  of  our  own 
introduc^lion  into  this  sublunary  world,  and  of  our  exit  out  of  the  same; 
how  short  is  every  stage.  How  hurriedlj'  we  pass  through  each  and  step 
from  one  period  of  life  to  another.  And  infinitely  shorter  still  is  our 
transition  from  the  mortal  to  the  immortal  state.  And  how  many  gay 
flowers  cease  to  delight  the  eye  and  to  perfume  the  air  while  soft  winds 
blow,  or  ere  autumn  coolness  has  had  time  to  bid  them  depart.  Even  so 
a  dearly  loved  one  has  bloomed  before  our  eyes,  and  by  her  sparkling 
beauties  promised  future  hope  and  delight,  but  like  some  sweet  flower  she 
is  no  more. 

H.  G.  Spayth. 


January  ii. 


January  12. 


19 


INFLUENCE   OF  A   HOI.Y   LIFE. 

A  holy  life  is  fitly  represented  by  yon  lofty  tower  as  it  stands  there  in 
that  desert  waste,  with  its  top  towering  far  above  the  clouds.  The  winds 
and  storms  of  the  desert  are  fiercely  howling  about  its  base,  but  its  top 
rests  in  eternal  sunshine  and  calm.  So  is  it  with  the  saint  of  God  on 
earth.  The  winds  and  the  storms  of  the  howling  desolations  of  sin  and 
wretchedness  may  chant  their  requiems  about  him;  but  his  hopes,  aspira- 
tions, and  afifeAions  being  dead  to  the  world,  his  soul  rests  in  sweet  re- 
pose on  the  bosom  of  the  Infinite,  to  whom  he  has  consecrated  all.  Noth- 
ing in  the  church  or  out  of  it  is  so  much  needed  at  the  present  time  as 
this  holy  consecration,  this  holy  life.  The  inner  life  of  the  soul  raises  its 
possessor  into  the  pure  heavenly  atmosphere  of  love;  and  rendering  him 
almost  omnipotent  for  good,  he  moves  among  his  fellow  -  men  like  a  flame 

of  fire. 

E.  B.  Kephart. 


FAMILY   CONVERSATION. 

There  is  a  real  pleasure  in  the  conversation  in  the  family  group  in  which 
each  member  performs  his  part.  A  finer,  deeper,  and  better  acquaintance 
is  formed,  which  tends  to  a  purer  and  better  love  and  a  sweeter  sympathy 
for  one  another.  The  cares  of  the  world  and  the  cares  of  business  are  for- 
gotten, or  at  least  distributed  among  the  whole  until  the  weight  is  gone  in 
the  mutual  bearing.  Family  cares,  misunderstandings,  and  sorrows  are  lost 
in  the  more  pleasant  hour  of  sweet  family  communion.  Let  the  children 
talk  some.  Proper  parental  instrudlion  will  soon  teach  them  when  it  is 
improper  for  them  to  be  heard;  but  let  them  have  their  turn.  Their  little 
minds  and  thoughts  are  quick,  and  they  must  talk.  The  parents  will  not 
know  what  the  children  are  when  out  of  sight  if  they  are  not  permitted  to 

talk  when  with  them. 

/.    W.  Hott. 


January  13. 


January  14. 


FOIvLOWING   CHRIST. 

Christ  is  not   only  a  commander,  but   a   leader.      There   is   no  point   of 

temptation,  insult,  or  danger,  no  place  so  rough,  affli<Slive,  or  toilsome,  no 

vale  so  dark  and  dreary  or  steep,  so  abrupt,  that  he  does  not  go  before  his 

people,  leading  the  way  and   bidding   them  look  unto   him.       While  Jesus 

teaches  the  way,  and  maps  the  way,  and  leads  the  way,  it  is  ours  to  follow 

him. 

William  Davis. 


MOTHER. 

Our  mother!    We  shall  never  forget  those   soft  hands  that  wiped  the 

falling  tear    from    our   cheeks.      They  have    left    their    impress   indelibly 

there.      And  the  lips  from  which   fell  so  many  kind  words,   and   have    so 

often  pressed  ours  with  showers  of  kisses,  have  left  a  touch  which  shall 

never  be  erased  therefrom  —  never;   no,  never.      The  grace  may  hide   her 

from  sight;  or  if  spared,  gray  locks  may  cover  her  temples;  her  brow  may 

be  covered  with  long  lines,  and  her  cheeks  with  furrows,  but  she  will  lose 

none  of  her  loveliness.     She  is  our  mother  still. 

B.  F.  Booth. 


January  15. 
Prof.  David  N.  Howe,  A.  M.,  1848. 


January  16. 

Bishop  Henry  Kumler,  jr.,  1801.         Rev.  Randolph  Rock,  A.  M.,  1851. 
Rev.  Hiram  Klwell,  1S33.         Rev.  J.  W.  Fulkerson,  1822. 


23 


GOD -CHOSEN   MEN. 

That  brave,  courageous  three  hundred,  eliminated  from  an  army  of  cow- 
ards, sifted  from  a  lesser  army  of  men  not  swift  for  aftion,  went  forward 
for  victory, — a  few  against  a  multitude.  They  are  the  type  of  the  men 
whom  God  chooses  out  of  the  great  mass  of  humanity  to  do  for  him  his 
best  work.  Courage,  adaptation,  and  agility  are  qualities  indispensible  in 
the  struggle.  And  then,  after  all,  it  is  not  of  Gideon's  army  as  of  God 
that  the  work  is  done.  He  chooses  his  men,  and  working  through  them 
achieves  the  vidlory. 

D.  Berprcr. 


TRUE   EDUCATION. 

Moral  culture  —  the  culture  of  the  soul  —  must  go  hand  in  hand  with  the 
culture  of  the  intelledl.  Educate  the  masses  in  this  their  twofold  nature 
and  the  republic  is  safe.  Give  them  soul -culture  as  well  as  mind  develop- 
ment. No  high  degree  of  success  can  be  wrought  out  without  this.  Teach 
them  not  onh'  to  know,  but  to  be;  for  after  all  is  said,  it  is  not  so  much 
what  a  man  knows,  as  what  he  is,  that  is  of  importance.  Hence  those 
educational  institutions  that  combine  the  culture  of  the  soul  with  the  de- 
velopment of  the  mind,  and  only  these,  are  the  best  promoters  of  that 
human  culture  which  is  .so  essential  to  the  perpetuity  of  our  free  institu- 
tions. 

1.  L.  Kephart. 


24 


January  17. 
President  Samuel  B.  Alien,  D.  D.,  1S30.         Rev.  Wm.  Fisher,  1S13. 


January  iS. 


25 


THE   CHRISTIAN   CHRIST- LIKE. 

Some  one  has  said,  ' '  A  selfish  man  will  not  sow  his  seed  except  he 
reap  the  whole  harvest,  nor  plant  the  vines  except  he  press  all  the  grapes 
into  his  own  vessel.  The  wheel  of  his  diligence  will  not  move  except  the 
oil  of  profit  be  in  it. ' '  Although  we  were  not  born  for  ourselves,  yet  it  is 
hardly  possible  that  the  natural  man  can  be  unselfish.  While  the  world- 
ling bestows  benefits  upon  others  for  his  own  sake,  the  Christian  does  it 
for  their  sakes.  That  is  the  purest  benevolence  which  has  the  least  of  self 
in  it,  and  that  benevolence  has  the  least  of  self  in  it  which  has  the  most  of 
Christ  in  it.  Christ  was  a  perfedl  benefadtor  of  mankind.  He  could  have 
no  selfish  motive  in  what  he  has  done  for  us.  The  Christian  is,  in  his 
capacity,  a  fac- simile  of  Christ,  and  must  therefore  be  admitted  to  be  the 
true  benefa(5lor  of  his  race.  Christ  loved  the  world;  so  does  the  Christian. 
Christ   gave   himself  for   the    world;    so   does   every  true   believer.      Christ 

went  about  doing  good;   so  does  the  Christian. 

W.   [.  S/iuey. 


VICTORY   FOR  THE   RIGHT. 

In  the  struggle  of  morals  in  all  ages,  the  highest  type  of  purity  has 
been  in  a  great  minority.  In  the  efforts  to  educate,  ignorance  has  ever 
commanded  more  suffrages  than  culture  has.  In  the  efforts  to  cure  dis- 
ease, the  medical  profession  has  been  in  most  cases  defeated.  Shall  we 
therefore  conclude  that  morality,  and  education,  and  medicine  are  to  be 
awarded  tokens  of  defeat  ?  Nay ;  but  vi<5lory  belongs  to  every  one  that 
does  a  noble  part  in  promoting  any  of  those  interests.  So  vi(5tory  is  the 
just  award  of  every  one  that  battles  for  Christ,  for  truth,  for  the  right, 
though  his  efforts  meet  with  but  partial  success,  and  even  though  he  die 
with  the  cries  of  derision  pouring  into  his  ears.     Any  degree  of  success  is 

victory  if  it  is  for  Christ,  for  truth,  and  for  the  right. 

M.  Wright. 


26 


January  19. 


January  20. 


27 


COMMUNION  WITH   GOD. 

We  may  have  God  in  all  our  thoughts,  make  him  the  obje(5l  of  our 
highest  affec5tions,  and  the  source  of  our  greatest  joys.  We  may  enjoy 
his  counsel  in  all  our  worldly  cares,  have  him  partake  with  us  in  all  our 
religious  feasts,  and  have  the  most  bitter  cup  of  sorrow  sweetened  by  his 
royal  presence.  The  soul  wholly  devoted  to  Christ  can  as  well  feast  at  a 
table  spread  with  bitter  herbs  as  with  the  richest  dainties.  Closely  wedded 
to  the  Lord,  the  Christian  sees  him  in  all  his  providences.  To  have  con- 
stant communion  with    him    is   to   rejoice    always,  and   in   everything  give 

thanks. 

J{^?>i.  Hanbj',  /Sjo. 


THE   CHRISTIAN  RELIGION. 

The  human  mind  is  subject  to  many  and  varied  influences,  but  among 
them  all  there  is  none  so  powerful  as  that  of  religion.  When  it  is  upper- 
most in  the  mind  and  affedtions,  it  lays  hold  of,  and  holds  with  great 
tenacity,  the  strongest  passions  of  the  heart;  and  being  exercised  by  mo- 
tives drawn  from  the  world  to  come,  it  brings  the  whole  soul  into  subjec- 
tion, and  rules  in  it  and  governs  it  with  a  power  to  which  nothing  else  can 
lay  claim.  Its  influence  also  perv-ades  the  whole  man.  It  not  only  forms 
and  diredts  the  outward  habits  and  deportment  of  a  man,  but  sitting  on 
the  throne  of  the  affedlions,  it  molds  and  shapes  the  heart  and  directs  the 
most  secret  workings  of  the  mind.  Hence  religion  gives  chara6ler  to  indi- 
viduals, to  societj",  to  communities,  and  to  nations. 

J.  A".  Billlieinier. 


28 


January  21. 

Bishop  Christian  Newcomer,  1749.         Prof.  J.  E).  Guitner,  1841. 
Rev.  J.  W.  Nye,  1836. 


January  22. 
Rev.  J.  C.  Smith,  1819. 


29 


THE   GOSPEL   OF   CHRIST. 

Christianity,  in  its  very  nature,  is  diffusive.  It  is  put  into  the  hearts 
of  men  and  women  that  they  may  place  it  into  the  hearts  and  hands  of 
others.  It  is  the  world's  only  panacea  for  all  its  moral  evils.  There  is  no 
substitute  for  it.  It  goes  dire(5l  to  the  object,  and,  if  allowed  its  fullest 
sway,  works  a  radical  reformation,  beginning  in  the  hearts  of  men  and 
working  out  to  the  habits.  It  offers  no  glittering  paraphernalia.  It  goes 
not  in  the  guise  of  mysterious  pass -words.  It  offers  no  political  alliances 
or  agencies.  Nothing  in  its  hand  but  the  cross  of  Christ;  nothing  on  its 
lips  but  the  plain  message  of  the  gospel,  and  nothing  with  which  to  en- 
force it  but  the  persuasive  eloquence  of  divine  love. 

M'.  J.  Shuey. 


TO   PARENTS. 

Among  all  our  duties,  those  we  owe  to  our  children  stand  out  most 
prominently.  We  owe  them  a  Christian  example,  hearty  encouragement 
in  every  good  work,  and  well-timed  and  wise  instructions.  We  should 
throw  around  them  a  breastwork  to  secure  them  from  the  vices  to  which 
they  are  exposed,  and  encourage  them  to  battle  valiantly  against  all  sinful 
and  soul  -  destroying  influences.  This  will  make  the  rising  generation  bet- 
ter citizens,  more  useful  and  influential  men  and  women,  and  will  earlier 
and  more  full}'  develop  in  them  pure  Christian  principles. 

Solomoti  VoHtiieda,  iSjp. 


30 


January  23. 


January  24. 
Rev.  Lewis  R.  Jones,  1S53. 


31 


PRAYER  FOR   COLLEGES. 

If  these  institutions  are  such  instruments  of  power,  if  they  are  a  neces- 
sity to  the  success  of  the  church,  if  they  are  so  closely  connedled  with  the 
very  stability  of  Christianity  itself,  how  appropriate  for  Christians,  ay,  how 
incumbent  it  is  upon  them  to  pray  for  God's  blessings  upon  them!  Pray 
that  the  teachers  may  be  filled  with  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  of  godliness. 
Pray  for  the  students,  that  their  education  may  be  san<flified  to  the  promo- 
tion of  the  truth  and  the  glory  of  God.  Pray  for  the  agents,  that  they  may 
have  wisdom  and  success  in  their  very  arduous  and  often  discouraging 
work.  Pray  that  the  people  may  properly  appreciate  these  institutions  and 
liberally  sustain  them  with  their  means.  Pray  that  the  colleges  and  sem- 
inaries may  be  in  the  future  even  more  than  in  the  past  adlive  evangelistic 
centers,  where  many  shall  be  converted  to  God,  and  whence  powerful  evan- 
gelistic influences  shall  go  forth. 

J.  P.  Landis. 


PREACHING   THE   GOSPEL- 

The  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  is  of  fearful  import.     Sorrow  and  joy 

will  ever  mingle  in  the  cup  of  the  Lord's  messenger,  while   in  this  vale 

of  tears.     He  will  ever  be  obliged  to  sow  in  tears,  but  he. shall  reap  in 

joy.     The  great  and  awful  harvest  is  fast  approaching.     Soon  every  living 

minister  now  in  the  gospel  field  will  complete  his  labors  and  be  called  to 

render  an   account  of  his  stewardship.     The   scenes  of  the  last  judgment, 

blended  with  our  responsibility  to  God,  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  should 

move  to  vigorous  adlion  every  minister  of  the    cross,  if  by  any  means  he 

may  save  some.     Oh,  that  I   could  repeat  the  ministers'  responsibilities  in 

trumpet  tones  in  the  ears  of  such  as  have  partially  or  wholly  left  the  field 

of  gospel  labor  for  secular  employments! 

IVm.  J?.  Rhinehart,  1S48. 


32 


January  25. 
President  Charles  H.  Kiracofe,  A.  M.,  1845. 


January  26. 


[3]  33 


UNDERI.YING    PRINCIPLES. 

The  great  want  of  our  times  is  to  search  out  for  great  bodies  of  truth  in 
every  phase  or  department  in  life.  The  life  is  more  than  meat  and  the 
body  than  raiment.  When  Christ  the  great  teacher  taught,  he  taught  not 
details  but  systems;  he  dignified  and  glorified  fundamental  principles  and 
elevated  his  hearers  to  them.  So  it  seems  to  me  that  for  those  who  are 
being  educated,  and  to  a  jjegree  will  teach  and  light  up  the  pathway  of 
others,  nothing  can  be  more  important  than  the  habit  of  looking  for  the 
underlying  principle,  the  inquiry,    "Where  am  I  in  a  system  of  truth?" 

G.  A.  FunMiouser. 


TO   YOUNG   MEN. 

Young  man,  if  you  would  be  right,  start  right.  If  you  would  make  a 
success  of  life,  start  in  the  road  that  leads  to  success.  Abandon  your  own 
way  if  it  is  not  in  harmony  with  God's  way.  Seek  first  to  be  reconciled 
to  God,  and  let  the  all-absorbing  purpose  of  your  life  be  the  glory  of  God, 
and  you  have  the  promise  that  all  needful  things  shall  be  added  unto  you. 
When  you  undertake  for  God,  God  will  undertake  for  you.  His  word  stands 
pledged  to  you  that  whatever  material  things  are  necessary  shall  be  yours. 
Then  if  you  would  be  sure  of  support  in  life  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  his  righteousness.  Would  you  be  happy,  seek  first  the  kingdom  of 
God;  for  happiness  can  be  found  in  no  other  way.  Whatever  your  busi- 
ness, lay  it  aside  until  you  have  secured  the  salvation  of  your  soul. 

C.  H.  Kiracofe. 


34 


January  27, 
Rev.  Richard  J.  Parrett,  1847. 


January  28. 


35 


THE   POWER   OF   MUSIC. 

Music  is  a  powerful  means  of  expression  and  impression.  It  penetrates 
the  very  depths  of  the  soul,  seeks  out  the  tenderest  emotions  and  senti- 
ments, and  is  able  to  arouse  or  subdue,  to  brighten  or  extinguish  them. 
How  wonderful  is  its  influence  over  all  sentient  beings!  The  fabled 
Orpheus  tamed  wild  beasts  with  the  bewitching  tones  of  his  voice.  Es- 
pecially does  music  affecfl  the  morals  of  men,  drawing  them  from  wild 
passions,  and  calling  out  the  "better  angel  of  their  nature."  It  has 
brought  tears  from  the  eyes  of  the  drunkard,  and  helped  him  to  abandon 
the  cup.  It  lias  delivered  many  a  poor  soul  from  his  "evil  spirit,"  and, 
even  more  than  David's  harp  could  do  for  the  proud  king,  lifted  him  into 
a  life  of  holiness  before  the  Lord.  What  heart  is  so  hard  that  it  can  not 
be  touched  by  the  poetical  strains  of  a  sacred  song?  Many  who  have 
withstood  the  appeals  of  sermon  after  sermon,  can  date  their  conversion 
to  the  impression  made  upon  them  by  some  simple  hymn.  Music  is  one 
of  our  spiritual  devotions  which  will  never  be  abandoned.     We  shall  sing 

in  heaven. 

/.  IF.  Etter. 

GENUINE  SUCCEvSS. 

To  the  young  comes  again  and  again  this  all -important  question, 
"What  is  real  success?"  We  all  wish  to  succeed.  How  shall  we,  unless 
we  know  the  inherent  element  of  success?  Money  is  not  success.  Social 
rank  is  not  success.  The  applause  of  men  is  not  success.  Abundance  of 
leisure  is  not  success.  Worldly  achievement  is  not  success.  A  man  ma}' 
have  all  these  and  still  be  a  failure.  Real  manhood  or  womanhood, 
crowned  with  a  rich  and  varied  culture  of  body,  mind,  and  heart,  is  gen- 
uine success. 

G.  P.  Macklin. 


January  29. 


January  30. 
President  Henry  Garst,  D.  D.,  1836. 


37 


A  temperance;  i^etter. 

Baltimore,  June  5,   1807. 

Friend  Hoeflich :  —  Although  writing  causes  me  much  trouble,  I  feel 
bound  in  my  conscience  to  write  you  these  few  lines.  I  had  not  thought 
to  receive  from  time  to  time  such  unpleasant  news  from  you.  You  are, 
since  you  left  Baltimore,  above  all  measure  in  the  habit  of  using  strong 
drink.  Some  of  your  friends  had  a  suspicion  of  your  drinking  while  you 
were  yet  in  Baltimore;  but  as  we  were  not  sure  about  it  we  hoped  you 
were  wronged  in  this,  because  we  thought  much  better  of  you  than  the 
fadls  warranted.  Oh,  this  pains  us  very  much.  We  must  hear  all  around, 
"Hoeflich  is  a  great  drunkard."  Is  it  possible?  A  man  that  knows  the 
truth  and  confesses  it  fallen  so  awfully!  This  we  had  not  expe<5led.  We 
hoped  that  you  would  be  salt  in  your  neighborhood  —  a  light  and  leader. 
Alas!  it  is  to  the  contrary.  My  friend,  you  bring  upon  yourself  a  great 
calamity.  You  bring  sorrow  upon  your  family.  Your  children  will  despise, 
scorn  you.  But  that  is  the  least  consideration.  For  a  man  to  profess  God 
with  his  mouth  and  deny  him  with  his  works  —  that  is  awful!  O  Hoeflich! 
you  will  be  lost.  But  that  is  not  all.  You  hurt  the  cause  of  Christ;  and 
besides  strengthening  the  wicked  in  their  ways  you  entice  others  and  be- 
come a  partaker  of  their  sins,  and  make  yourself  guilty  of  their  blood, 
whereby  you  bring  upon  yourself  an  awful  judgment.  Tremble,  and  turn! 
You  must  either  decide  to  go  to  hell  or  give  up  drinking.  There  is  no 
other  way;  and  this  you  know  and  believe.  Hoeflich,  O  Hoeflich,  turn 
quickly!  lycave  ofi";  it  is  time.  Give  up  drinking;  otherwise  God  will 
give  you  up,  and  then,  oh,  woe!  You  ask,  "Is  there  any  help  for  me?" 
There  can  be;  there  must  be;  there  is.  Your  strength  is  too  feeble-,  but 
the  power  of  the  Almighty  is  sufficient.  But  you  must  give  up  strong 
drink.  You  must  give  it  up  entirely.  And  dare  you  hesitate  ?  Is  it  not 
much  better  to  suffer  thirst  in  this  world  than  to  thirst  in  hell  through 
eternity?  Oh,  resolve  to  quit  drinking.  One  thing  I  must  tell  you  —  Satan 
will  not  let  you  loose  very  easily.  But  you  need  not  fear.  The  almighty 
Savior  will  help  you.  Venture  upon  him;  he  will  sustain  you.  Pray,  pray; 
call  aloud;  persevere.  Tell  your  wife  and  children,  tell  your  dear  friends, 
to  help  you  pray.  Oh,  how  much  better  it  would  have  been  if  5^ou  iiad 
stayed  with  your  family  in  Baltimore.  At  the  time  when  you  were  here 
this  hellish  spirit  was  j^et  bound.  Oh,  that  the  Lord  may  have  mercy  upon 
you,  is  my  wish  and  prayer,  for  you  and  your  house. 

Your  friend. 

W.    Otlerbein. 


38 


January  31. 

Rev.  Samuel  Huber,  17S2.         Rev.  Stephen  Lillibridge,  1815. 
Rev.  John  P.  Anthony,  1834. 


39 


WINTER  SOI.STICES. 

These  brief  bleak  days,  these  long  dark  nights, 

We  rise  on  tiptoe  e'en  to  mark 

The  solstice  reached,  the  utmost  verge, 

The  sun's  return,  a  quicker  dawn. 

So  oft  in  sorrow's  long  dark  night, 
.  By  faith  we  strive  to  pierce  the  gloom, 
And  cry,  "  How  long,  O  Lord,  how^  long 
'Till  thou  return  and  bring  the  light?'' 

Lizzie  K.  Miller. 


40 


^BIMWPMIP 


«> 


THE  TRUTH   OF   GOD   PRUVAlI^ETH. 

Why  are  you  oft  despairing, 

When  God  would  have  you  blest? 
His  promise  are  you  fearing  ? 

Can  in  it  find  no  rest? 
The  truth  of  God  prevaileth, — 

It  ever  must  endure; 
Its  justice  never  faileth, 

Its  mercy  is  secure. 

Though  in  their  pride  uprising, 

The  nations  it  oppose; 
Its  sacred  form  despising, 

Their  hatred  full  disclose; 
The  truth  of  God  prevaileth, — 

It  ever  must  endure; 
Its  justice  never  faileth, 

Its  mercy  is  secure. 

The  moon  may  lose  her  station, 

The  sun  grow  cold  and  die; 
IJarth  lost  in  conflagration, 

The  stars  their  courses  fly. 
The  truth  of  God  prevaileth, — 

It  ever  must  endure; 
Its  justice  never  faileth. 

Its  mercy  is  secure. 

The  promise  that  he  giveth, 

Is  sure  as  his  own  throne; 
While  God  is  God  he  liveth. 

Of  truth  the  corner-stone. 
The  truth  of  God  prevaileth, — 

It  ever  must  endure; 
Its  justice  never  faileth, 

Its  mercy  is  secure. 


E.  S.  Lorenz. 


41 


CHRISTIAN   MORALITY  THE   BASIS   OF  NATIONAL  SECURITY. 

There  are  but  two  principles  of  power  in  the  government.  The  one  is 
the  moral  virtue  of  the  people,  the  power  of  self-government,  which  gets 
all  its  vital  energy  and  puissance  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  other 
is  the  power  of  the  sword.  And  it  is  impossible  to  govern  a  nation  with- 
out one  or  the  other  of  these  forces;  for  it  is  certain  the  nation  that  throws 
away  the  culture  and  support  of  religious  principles  deprives  itself  of  the 
only  enduring  security  of  self-government  for  the  masses,  and  must  ulti- 
mately come  to  the  last  resort    for  protetftion,  which  is  physical   force,  or 

the  arbitration  of  the  bayonet. 

John  Kemp. 


THE   REWARD. 

Missionaries  and  their  families  who  go  abroad  and  labor  in  the  vine- 
yard of  the  Lord,  sacrificing  health,  wealth,  and  ease,  will  have  a  rich 
reward  in  heaven.  Those  who  give,  and  give  liberally,  for  their  support 
will  have  a  share  with  them  in  the  bright  world  above.  Money  given  to 
the  poor,  or  to  the  cause  of  missions,  if  given  with  the  right  motive,  is 
lodged  in  the  bank  of  heaven,  and  will  bring  a  big  interest.     If  you  have 

the  missionary  spirit,  keep  it  alive  in  your  heart. 

/.  C.  Bright,  1S55. 


February  i. 


February  2. 


43 


THE   COLLEGE  A   CENTER  OE  SPIRITUAL  POWER. 

Nothing  will  so  clearly  prove  the  utility  and  necessity  of  a  college  as 
the  fadl  that  it  is  a  powerful  center  of  truth — truth  vitalized  in  holy  work. 
Nothing  else  will  so  surely  bring  to  it  the  means  for  its  support.  I  give 
it  as  my  judgment  that  the  great  need  of  our  colleges  and  seminaries 
to-day  is  power  with  God,  the  result  of  a  profound  consecration  to  his  serv- 
ice, both  upon  the  part  of  those  dire<5lly  concerned  in  their  management 
and  of  the  churches  in  whose  locality  they  are  situated.  Our  colleges 
need  powerful  revivals.  The  young  men  and  women  in  attendance  upon 
them  need  to  be  brought  to  Christ  in  great  numbers.  This  will  be  the 
result  when  the  pulsations  of  the  divine  Spirit  are  perceptibly  felt  by  all 
who  come  in  contadl  with  the  college  and  with  the  church.  Our  college- 
churches  especially  should  "be  filled  with  the  Spirit."' 

C.  J.  Kephart. 


WOMEN  LIVING   FOR   OTHERS. 

Is  it  not  noble,  is  it  not  grand,  to  live  for  others?  And  this  excellent 
work  is  not  all  given  unto  the  men  to  do;  women  also  are  called.  Oh, 
thank  God,  women  are  also  called  into  this  glorious  work  of  living  for 
others.  Nor  are  all  such  workers  on  foreign  shores  we  know;  but  in 
schools,  in  hospitals,  in  their  own  homes  are  those  living  for  others,  suf- 
fering for  Christ's  sake  as  essentially  as  others  in  foreign  fields.  We  are 
glad  that  woman's  missionary  societies  are  now  organized  and  in  working 
order  in  nearly  all  the  orthodox  churches,  giving  so  worthy  an  outlet  to 
so  much  soul -energy;  and  but  a  glance  at  woman's  work  is  needed  to 
prove  that  it  is  a  great  power  in  the  hands  of  God  to  hasten  the  fulfill- 
ment of  his  commission. 

Lizzie  K.  Miller. 


44 


February  3. 


February  4. 
Rev.  R.  W.  Parks,  1828. 


45 


A    ROYAL   ROAD. 

There  7S  a  royal  road  to  learning,  an  imperial  way  to  high  rank  in  the 
empire  of  mind;  and  it  lies  through  love  of  learning,  definiteness  of  aim, 
concentration  of  attention,  and  systematic  study,  subordinated  to  the  guid- 
ance of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  soul.  If  all  should  be  willing  to  travel  this 
road,  there  would  be  immediate  promise  of  the  reign  of  "sweetness  and 
light,"  as  manifest  in  him  who  is  wisdom  and  righteousness.  More  and 
more  would  mind  gain  control  of  matter,  and  more  would  intelligence  and 
piety  prevail  to  the  utter  overthrow  of  the  powers  of  prejudice  and  wrong, 
and  the  glad  era  dawn,  when 

"Deserts  shall  blossom  atid  the  barren  sing; 
Justice  and  Mercy,  Holiness,  and  Love 
Among  the  people  walk;   Messiah  reign, 
And  earth  keep  jubilee  a  thou-sand  j-ears." 

_/.  E.   Guitner 


INFLUENCE. 

Society  is  a  great  chain,  and  in  it  we  all  are  links.  When  one  is 
touched  or  drawn,  all  are  moved  with  it.  We  are  members  of  one  great 
body;  and  when  one  member  suffers,  all  the  other  parts  sympathize  with  it. 
We  can  not,  if  we  would,  avoid  affeAing  others  by  this  secret  power — oiir 
life,  our  words,  and  our  looks.  The  company  we  keep  and  avoid  molds 
others  for  good  or  evil;  ?nd  if  we  would  withhold  our  influence  by  with- 
drawing from  society  into  the  deepest  solitude,  that  acfl  would  affeA  them. 
The  sum  and  drift  of  our  condu<5l  here  is  a  strong  request  for  everybody 
to  be  and  do  like  us.  We  touch  cords  every  day  that  will  not  cease  to 
vibrate,  but  will  bless  or  curse  man  while  eternity  rolls  or  being  lasts. 
Our  least  adls  are  like  pebbles  cast  into  water —  they  start  the  ripple  that 
will  roll  until  its  undulations  strike  the  eternal  shore,  and  fashion  char- 
acter in  the  unseen  regions  of  the  immortal  world. 

\Vm.  Dillon. 


46 


February  5. 


February  6. 
Rev.  George  Adam  Geeting,  1741. 


47 


SINGLENESS  OF  AIM. 

Every  man  should  have  one  occupation,  and  make  that  his  life-work. 

A  man  who  undertakes  to  be  a  farmer,  preacher,  docftor,  lawyer,  merchant, 

and  mechanic  in  this  short  life,  lives  to  very  little  purpose,  and  is  scarcely 

missed  when  gone.     He  may  have  friends  enough  to  bury  him,  but  they 

will  feel  almost  happy  to  have  the  privilege  of  showing  him  such  a  favor. 

If  in  matters  of  a  temporal  charaAer  dire(5lness  of  purpose  is  necessary  to 

achieve  the  obje(5l  of  our  pursuit,  how  much  more  in  matters  of  religion, 

upon  which  hang  the  destinies  of  the  soul? 
^  31.  L.  Tibbeits. 


I,AST  WORDS   OF  REV.  GEO.  A.  GEETING. 

"I  feel  as  though  niv  end  had  come.  Hark!  hark!  Who  spoke?  Whose 
voice  is  this  I  hear?  Light!  light!  what  golden  light!  Now  all  is  dark 
again.  Please  help  me  out  of  this  bed."  His  request  being  granted,  he 
said,  "Now  let  us  sing  — 

"Come,  thou  long  expected  moment, 
Come   thou  Spirit  from  on  high; 
'Tis  thy  call,  my  Lord  and  Master; 
How  shall  I  express  my  j  oy. 
When  thy  grace  and  power  of  love 
Bids  ine  rise  to  climes  above!" 

After  the  singing,  the  man  of  God  sunk  on  his  knees,  leaning  against  his 
bed,  and  prayed  fervently,  giving  thanks  to  God  for  his  abundant  mercy 
toward  him. 


February  7. 

Rev.  A.  Brazee,  1817.         Rev.  B.  M.  L,ong,  A.  M.,  1847. 
Rev.  George  Sickafoose,  1840. 


February  8. 
Rev.  John  W.  I<illy,  1847. 


[4I  49 


HOME -MAKING. 

Is  it  not  a  religious  duty  to  tell  every  young  girl  and  woman  that  there 

is  no  work  in  this  wide  world  more  useful,  more  far-reaching  in  its  results 

and  influences,   better  calculated   to  call   out   all   the   good  qualities  of  the 

soul,  mind,  and  spirit  than  doing  everything  in  our  power  toward  building 

up  a  beautiful   Christian  home  ?     Let  us  think  of  it  more,  what  it  implies 

to  make  a  home.      Not   a   place    simply  in   which    to  eat   and  sleep,  but  — 

how  shall  I  describe  it?     I  can  not;  but  the  memory  and  blessedness  of  it 

overshadows  my  life  with  a  holy  benedidliou.     You  know  (alas!  all  do  not) 

what  it  is  —  for  all  along  memory's  wall  hang  such  beautiful  pictures,  and 

in   everyone    making   one    and   crowning   all,   is   that  of  viother.     Ah,  it   is 

only  another  name    for   love  as  bright,   as  warm,   as  abiding   as   the  sun  in 

the  heavens. 

Mrs.  D.  L.  Rike. 


MIND  -  FOOD. 

Words,  sentences,  propositions,  or  signs  of  ideas  presented  to  the  mind 

through  the  organs  become  mind -food,  generate  and  grow  thought.      The 

development  of  the  mind  and  the  formation  of  character  depend  upon  the 

nature  of  mind -food  as  much  as  the  body,  and  its  development  depends 

upon  bread.     As  our  thoughts  are,  so  will  our  lives  be.     "As  he  thinketh 

in  his  heart,   so  is  he."     There  is  another  scripture  which  fits  well  to  this, 

—  "From  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. "     Do  you  ask. 

May   I,  can   I,  control  my  thought  ?     May  I   be   master  of  my  thoughts  ? 

I  answer.  Yes,   if  you  will  it  so  you  may,  as  well  as  prevent  the  "birds 

from  building  nests  in  your  hair."     If  not,  why  the  exhortation  of  the  text, 

"Think  on  these  things?"     We  may  not  be  able  to  prevent  the  suggestion 

of  a  subjedl,  but  we  can  refuse  to  entertain  it.     We  can  keep  out  the  evil 

and  entertain  the  good.      I  would   emphasize,  that  if  our  thoughts  are  on 

elevating  themes  we   can   not  fall,  no   matter  what  our  surroundings  —  ay! 

more,  we  shall  ascend. 

D.  R.  Miller. 


50 


February  9. 


Jf^J.  &X^^u^  ,       Z/^/ 


February  10. 
Rev.  Isaac  L,.  Buchwalter,  1820. 


51 


THE   HIGHEST  HONOR. 

The   honor  attaching  to   faithful   preachers   of  the   gospel   is   above   all 

human  language  to  express.    Jesus   said,  "If  any  man  serve   me,  him  will 

my  Father  honor."     Let  me  suffer  reproach  from  men,  if  it  must  be;  but 

the  disapproval  of  God  is  intolerable.     The  sweetest  experience  in  life  is 

the'  approval  of  a  good   conscience   and  the  honor  of  heirship   in   God's 

blessed  family.     No  honor   can   be  higher,  no  fellowship   more    delightful. 

From  some  cause  I  fear  the  dignity  of  the  ministry  and  the  respe(5l  due  to 

those  who  preach  the  word  are  not  what  they  ought  to  be.     If  the  clergy 

is  to  blame,  let  us  look  to  Jesus'  life  and  work  as  our  model  until  we  are 

transformed  into  his  image.     The  mind  and  spirit  of  Christ  are  especially 

needed  in  those  who  are  examples  to  the  flock. 

M.  S.  Driiry. 


GRADUATION    DAY. 

Manj'  have  marked  out  their  course  previous  to  the  day  of  graduation, 
but  some  are  yet  looking  for  a  field  in  which  to  work.  Each  face  on  that 
great  day  betrays  the  questioning  and  thinking  going  on  behind  it,  won- 
dering what  life  will  be,  what  place  in  the  world's  pleasure  or  the  world's 
work.  Some,  feeling  the  stir  of  high  purposes,  imagine  they  see  into  the 
near  future  the  desert  rejoicing  and  blossoming  as  the  rose,  and  others 
wise  enough  to  know  that  adlual  results  in  life  come  slowly,  and  come 
only  after  patient  sowing  and  careful  tending,  look  forward  into-  the  far 
future  hoping  in  God's  time  much  good  may  result  from  a  life  devoted  to 
his  service.  l,et  each  stop  and  consider  whether  nature  has  not  given 
endowments  which  should  be  considered  in  the  choice  of  a  pursuit.  Are 
there  not  among  the  number  men  and  women  who  could  best  serve  the 
purpose  of  life  by  giving  themselves  to  mission -work?  Such  a  life  does 
not  promise  wealth  as  the  world  counts  it,  but  shall  receive  a  hundred- 
fold, and  "shall  inherit  everlasting  life,"  for  all  sacrifices  for  the  gospel's 

sake. 

Lillie  R.  Keister. 

52 


February  ii. 


February  12. 


53 


CORRECTING   CHII^DRKN. 

You  should  never  corredl  your  children  in  anger.  If  you  correct  them 
in  a  good-natured  and  affecflionate  manner  you  can  not  fail  to  leave  the 
impression  on  their  minds  and  hearts  that  you  correct  them  for  their  good. 
When  I  look  back  to  the  days  of  my  childhood,  I  remember  that  good- 
natured,  kind  words,  or  even  corre(5tion  with  the  rod  administered  in  an 
affedlionate  manner,  always  made  the  best  impression  on  my  mind.  Many 
parents  corre<5l  their  children  only  when  they  are  angry,  and  then  with  a 
wrong  spirit  and  bitter  words  till  they  become  discouraged  and  have  no 
heart  to  do  anything  for  themselves  or  any  one  else.  Rather  let  them  en- 
courage their  children  and  make  the  impression  on  their  minds  that  they 
are  dearly  beloved  and  would   be   greatly  missed  from  the  family  circle  if 

they  were  taken  away. 

William  Miller. 


THE  CHRISTIAN   COI.I.EGE. 

"The  greatest  conception  of  man  is  the  Christian  college."  In  college 
the  powers  of  the  mind  are  awakened.  Cultivation  strengthens  them. 
Here  the  mind  is  led  to  greater  depths  and  carried  to  loftier  heights  than 
it  would  reach  unaided.  But  if  the  mind  is  encouraged  to  fortify  itself 
against  God,  or  if  the  moral  influence  is  not  good,  or  if  the  heart  is  neg- 
ledled,  it  may  resist  truth,  and  see  no  God  in  nature,  which  it  has  learned 
to  love.  But  in  a  Christian  college,  a  college  which  is  consecrated  to  God 
through  Christ  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  a  moral  influence  is  exerted.  The  vSpirit 
makes  truth  impressive,  and  hearts  are  won  to  Christ.  The  mere  college 
aims  to  make  the  intelleAual  nature  master  of  the  physical;  but  the  Chris- 
tian college  aims  at  this  and  more  —  the  moral  nature  is  to  govein  the  in- 
telledlual  as  the  intelle(5lual  governs  the  physical.  There  is  no  less  care 
in  mental  discipline,  there  is  as  much  thoroughness  in  the  mastery  of  the 
arts  and  sciences,  there  is  as  great  attention  in  the  cultivation  of  taste  in 
literature;  but  these  are  not  the  end.  They  are  the  means  to  an  end.  They 
are  to  pav  tribute  to  a  superior.  The  whole  man  is  to  be  cultivated,  and 
the  cultivated  man  is  to  be  God's.  5.   B.  Ervin. 

54 


February  13. 


February  14. 
Rev.  D.  Berger,  D.  D.,  1832. 


3,^uLy2^J^/^ 


55 


MORAIv   RECTITUDK. 

Various  are  the  standards  by  which  men  determine  the  moral  qualities 
of  their  acStions.  L,egal  sanAion  is  the  rule  of  some.  Hence  every  adtion 
which  we  escape  legal  censure  is  right.  Expediency  is  the  rule  by  which 
not  a  few  determine  the  character  of  their  a<5tions.  The  standard  of  others 
is  their  own  sense  of  right  and  wrong.  There  is  another  rule  which  is 
founded  upon  the  traditions  of  the  fathers.  Well,  so  far  as  their  example 
is  worthy,  all  right.  But  these  rules  have  many  exceptions  and  limita- 
tions. The  moral  quality  of  actions  must  be  determined  by  the  will  of 
the  L,aw- giver  of  the  universe  as  we  find  it  in  the  Christian  Scriptures. 
Here  we  have  a  standard  of  moral  redlitude  perfedl,  complete,  answering 
to  all  time.  To  this  standard  all  actions  must  be  brought  in  order  that  w^ 
may  determine  their  moral  quality. 

/.  T.  Vardaman. 


THE   MEEK   IN   HEART. 

Who  sees  the  most  beauty  in  the  earth?  Not  the  man  who  owns  the 
most  of  it.  Who  enjoys  his  food,  clothing,  and  habitation  the  most  fully 
and  sweetly  ?  Not  the  man  who  has  the  greatest  abundance  and  most 
excellent  quality.  No!  He  enjoys  all  natural  attainments  and  possessions 
who  sees  the  most  of  the  goodness  and  provident  care  of  the  lyord  in 
them.  The  meek  think  of  their  own  unworthiness  and  of  their  Father's 
merciful  bounty.  Every  natural  gift  is  a  lavish  goodness  of  the  Lord,  and 
they  recognize  his  love  in  it.  Not  only  their  bodies,  but  their  souls  are 
fed  at  these  earthly  tables.  They  are  contented  and  happy,  for  they  trust 
in  him,  and  thus  they  enjoy  every  possession  without  fear  of  its  loss. 
Even  the  delights  of  the  natural  senses  are  fuller  and  richer,  for  there  is 
a  heavenly  delight  within  them. 

W.  M.   Givens. 


56 


February  15. 
Rev.  Levi  Field,  li 


February  16. 


57 


THE   COURAGE   OF  FAITH. 

The  courage  of  faith  made  L,uther  mightier  than  the  Diet  of  Worms,  and 
the  combined  power  of  persecuting  and  bloody  Rome,  and  enabled  him  to 
say  to  his  fearful  friends  who  tried  to  persuade  him  not  to  appear  to  an- 
swer the  summons  of  Rome,  "I  would  go  if  there  were  as  many  devils  in 
Worms  as  there  are  tiles  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses."  He  went.  Would 
the  infidel  or  hypocrite  have  gone  for  his  cause  ?  No.  lyUther  was  moved 
by  the  courage  of  faith  —  faith  in  the  righteousness  of  his  cause  and  in  the 
promise  and  protedtion  of  the  forty  -  sixth  psalm.  He  knew  he  was  right 
and  that  Rome  was  wrong.  The  hardest  man  to  scare  is  the  one  who  be- 
lieves he  is  right  and  would  rather  please  God  than  himself 

R.  Rock. 


CHRISTIAN   FRIENDSHIP. 

Bathing  in  its  pure  and  limpid  waters  we  shall  be  healed  of  the  leprosy 
of  selfishness  and  covetousness,  which  are  the  prevailing  elements  of  man's 
nature,  unrenewed  by  the  power  of  divine  grace.  Christian  friendship  dis- 
penses blessings  to  all  around.  While  it  is  pure  and  holy  in  its  character 
and  noble  in  its  purposes,  it  does  not  pass  the  poor  and  suffering  ones  by, 
but  dispenses  its  gifts  to  the  needy.  It  waits  patiently  by  the  bed  of  the 
sick  and  dying,  draws  back  the  veil  of  mortality,  and  lets  the  light  of 
eternity  fall  upon  the  couch  of  death.  In  the  performance  of  its  mission 
on  earth  there  is  a  faithfulness,  promptness,  and  constancy  that  show  it  to 

be  divine. 

Halleck  Floyd. 


5S 


February  17. 


February  18. 


59 


INDIVIDUAIv   RE;SPONSIBIIvITY. 

Along  with  those  of  the  church,  our  individual  responsibilities  have 
kept  pace.  The  increased  growth  in  wealth,  talent,  and  influence  in  the 
church  argues  a  providential  plan  for  the  discharge  of  these  obligations; 
for  I  notice  that  there  are  those  who  have  scattered  and  yet  increased,  and 
have  realized  the  blessedness  of  giving.  Can  we  not  give  praise  to  that 
providence  which,  while  like  all  unthinking  creatures  we  have  rushed  into 
the  thick  of  the  conflidt,  and  are  become  surrounded  by  hosts  of  responsi- 
bilities, has  yet  presented  plans  and  prepared  agencies  for  their  removal? 
Now  you  will  kneel  to  pray  to-night,  my  brother,  as  a  suppliant  at 
mercy's  door.     How  must  you  feel  with  past  obligations  yet  resting  upon 

you  ? 

D.  F.    U'ilbei-force. 


WOMAN'S   WORK   FOR   WOMAN. 

The  great  fadt  that  gave  a  new  impulse  to  woman's  work  for  women 
was,  that  men  have  almost  no  access  to  women  in  heathen  countries,  but 
to  women  the  door  has  been  opened.  Christianity  is  breaking  down  the 
barriers  which  Mohammedanism  and  paganism  had  ere(5led,  keeping  wom- 
en in  worse  than  Egyptian  bondage.  Christian  women  have  by  these  means 
had  their  hearts  filled  with  gratitude,  and  also  with  humility  and  a  sense 
of  responsibility  that  has  given  rise  to  the  various  women's  missionary  so- 
cieties. The  gifts  to  the  treasury  of  the  Lord  have  thus  been  vastly  in- 
creased, and  greater  zeal  is  manifest  in  Christian  work  at  home.  The 
influence  of  all  this  on  woman  herself  has  been  most  happy.  She  has 
grown  rapidly  intelledlually  and  religiously,  and  is  just  as  good  a  wife  and 
mother  to-day  as  before  a  woman's  missionary  society  existed.  There  is 
no  antagonism  between  the  work  abroad  and  the  work  at  home. 

Mrs.  S.  Haywood. 


60 


February  19. 


February  20. 
Rev.  Wm.  McKee,  1831.         Rev,  A.  A.  Sellers,  1808. 


61 


CHEAP   .SAI^ES. 

vSorue  persons  sell  themselves  for  pleasure.  They  give  loose  reins  to  all 
their  appetites.  They  discard  the  idea  of  self-denial.  Their  motto  is, 
'•  Uat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die."  The  question  with  them  is, 
How  or  where  can  I  enjoy  myself  the  most?  They  never  think  of  results. 
Where  will  this  or  that  course  end?  is  no  question  with  them.  They  take 
no  thought  for  to-morrow.  They  live  for  the  present.  The  sensualist  is 
such  a  man.  The  drunkard  is  such  a  man.  The  glutton  is  such  a  man. 
Surely  such  persons  sell  themselves  cheaply  enough. 

S.  A .  Mowers. 


CHRISTIAN   ACTIVITY. 

When  the  bells  ring  the  alarm  of  fire,  then  it  is  that  the  members  of 
the  fire-companies  run  to  their  engines,  seize  their  hose,  their  buckets, 
their  hooks  and  ladders,  and  citizens  hasten  along  the  streets  almost 
breathless,  because  property  and  life  are  in  danger.  When  the  nation's 
life  is  in  peril  from  an  internal  or  an  external  enemy,  then  it  is  that  the 
government  hastens  to  its  preservation  by  every  means  within  its  power. 
And  when  Christians  see  the  world  of  mankind  in  rebellion  against  God, 
that  reconciliation  can  be  brought  about  through  Christ  only,  that  all  who 
die  irreconciled  must  perish,  and  that  Christ  has  committed  to  his  own 
embassadors  the  words  of  reconciliation,  it  is  then  they  fly  on  their  divine 
mission;   it  is  then  that  whatsoever   they  do,  they  do  it  with   their  might. 

Daniel  Shuck. 


62 


February  21. 


February  22. 


6-, 


BRICKS   WITHOUT   vSTRAW. 

When  a  man  marries  a  wife  who  has  always  earned  her  own  money, 
and  after  marriage  goes  the  weary,  wearing  round  of  duty  at  his  hearth- 
stone, but  with  whom  he  never  voluntarily  divides  a  dollar  of  the  income, 
who  must  know  how,  where,  and  when  she  spends  every  dime  he  chooses 
to  dole  out  to  her,  upon  her  earnest  solicitation,  depriving  her  of  that 
noble  independence  which  every  true  woman  prizes  above  gold,  one  in- 
voluntarily cries  out  "injustice,"  —  "  bricks  without  straw."  When  one  or 
several  members  of  the  church  shirk  their  fair  share  of  the  church -ex- 
penses, simply  because  they  can.  and  leave  their  brethren  to  pay  their 
own,  and  a  part  of  their  share  besides,  one  can  but  cry  out  injtistice,  and 
wish  for  a  still  more  vigorous  expletive  to  apply  to  such  condudl. 

C.  Briggs. 


TO  THE  AFFLICTED  AND  DISCONSOLATE. 

Art  thou  undergoing  some  severe  ordeal  of  suffering?  Art  thou  affiicfted 
in  body  and  perplexed  in  mind?  Hast  thou  been  long  tossed  upon  some 
bed  of  sickness?  and  have  days  of  pain  and  nights  of  sleepless  weariness 
been  appointed  unto  thee?  Art  thou  in  straitened  circumstances,  and  suf- 
fering for  the  comforts  of  life  ?  Art  thou  suffering  some  wrong  or  urikind- 
ness  at  the  hand  of  atiy  one  ?  Has  the  light  of  thine  eyes  been  laid  in  the 
grave,  and  art  thou  left  in  sadness  and  lamentation  ?  And  is  the  way  God 
is  leading  thee  dark  and  mysterious?  Are  there  no  foot -prints  of  love 
traceable  in  thy  way?  Is  there  no  light  in  the  cloud  which  obscures  thy 
sky?  No  ray  of  hope  for  thee  in  thy  earthly  future?  Be  patient;  refrain 
from  repining.  Utter  no  impatient  or  unkind  word.  You  will  yet  be  made 
to  say  of  God's  dealings  with  you  that  "he  hath  done  all  things  well." 

/.  Hoke. 


64 


February  23. 
Prof.  Cyrus  J.  Kephart,  A.  M.,  1852. 


February  24. 


O-x^ 


Rev.  D.  F.  Wilberforce,  1857. 


lg^3 


65 


A   PRAYING   MOTHKR. 

There  is  no  other  one  means  so  certain  to  result  in  the  salvation  of  a 
sinner  as  a  mother's  prayers.  There  is  power  in  the  very  thought  of  a 
mother,  with  a  Christian  mother's  heart  and  faith,  pleading  before  the 
throne  of  God  day  and  night  for  the  salvation  of  a  son  or  daughter.  No 
other  being  in  the  universe  has  such  a  hold  on  the  affeiftions  of  her  chil- 
dren, and  no  other  created  being  possesses  such  undying  love  for  them. 
With  such  a  hold  on  their  affec5tions  and  with  such  a  heart  of  love  for 
their  welfare,  is  not  the  true  Christian  mother  qualified  to  pray  for  her  off- 
spring? Are  not  her  intercessions  next  in  value  to  the  intercessions  of  the 
Savior?     Oh,  how  many  thousands  have  been  saved  through  the  agonizing 

prayers  of  pious  mothers  ! 

D.  Edzvards,  iS^g. 


CHRISTIAN   culture;. 

We  must  never  forget  that  all  truth  is  important.  To  speak  of  it  lightly 
or  disparagingly  refiedls  on  the  charadler  of  the  great  Author  of  truth. 
There  may  be  gradations  in  truth,  and  so  it  may  be  proper  to  speak  of  one 
truth  as  relatively  more  important  than  another.  Take  the  truths  of  phys- 
ical science,  by  which  we  learn  the  relation  of  things  in  the  natural  world. 
The  truths  are  important,  but  of  subordinate  importance.  Next  take  the 
truths  of  mental  science  and  you  learn  the  laws  by  which  mind  is  gov- 
erned, and  the  relation  of  mind  to  mind.  These  truths  are  higher  and 
more  important,  for  they  lift  us  into  the  sphere  of  the  intelledlual.  Now 
look  at  the  truths  of  moral  science  and  you  learn  the  laws  that  belong  to 
the  creature's  moral  nature  and  his  relation  to  the  Creator  and  the  duties 
growing  out  of  such  relation.  Is  not  this  the  highest  department  of  truth? 
All  believers  will  say  it  is.  Yet  all  truth  has  but  one  center,  and  its  radi- 
ations proceed  from  this  center  and  must  proclaim  the  glory  of  the  great 

Author. 

A,  B.  Sherk. 


66 


February  25. 


February  26. 
Rev.  John  Smith,  1796. 


(>! 


REVIVALS. 

The   responsibility  of  men  for  revivals  must  be   insisted   upon,  oi*  we 

make  God  responsible  for  their  absence.      The  fa(5l  is  that  God  is  always 

ready  to  revive  his  people,  and  has  placed  the  means  of  p/omoting  a  deeper 

work  of  grace  in  their  hands.      Whenever  these  means  are  employed  the 

results  invariably  follow;   for  the  test  of  the  divinity  of  religious  power  is 

not  its  arbitrariness,  as  men  too  often  suppose.     Physical  nature  does  not 

monopolize    the    order  of  the  universe.      Cause  and    effe(5t  may  lose  the 

elements  of  necessity  in  the  realm  of  choice,  but  none  the  less  obtain  in 

the  spiritual  world. 

E.  S.  Lorenz, 


THE   SECOND   COMING   OF   CHRIST. 

Of  this  we  may  be  sure  :  Jesus  Christ  will  not  come  contrary'  to  tbe 
great  scheme  and  plan  of  hmuan  redemption.  He  must  remain  in  heaven 
until  the  time  of  the  restitution  of  all  things.  He  will  remain  in  heaven 
as  man's  puissant  advocate  so  long  as  men  will  accept  his  mediation.  But 
when  Christianity  has  done  all  its  Author  designed  it  to  do  for  the  re- 
demption and  regeneration  of  the  human  family,  individually  and  colleifl- 
ively,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  has  exerted  himself  in  man's  behalf  to  the 
uttermo.st  extent  of  his  prerogative,  when  grace  has  done  all  for  man  that 
the  justice  and  mercy  of  God  will  allow,  when  the  last  soul  that  will  be 
saved  is  saved,  then,  and  not  until  then,  will  be  the  time  of  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  Man.  How  long  a  time  that  will  be,  none  can  tell;  for  we 
know  not  when  the  Master  cometh,  at  evening,  or  at  midnight,  or  at  the 
cock -crowing,  or  in  the  morning.  Only  this  I  know,  Jesus  died  for  me; 
and  whether  I  wake  or  sleep  at  the  time  of  his  coming,  he  will  own  and 

honor  me. 

G.  P.  Mackliti. 


6S 


February  2^. 


February  28. 

Rev.  George  G.  Nickey,  1S18.         Rev.  Z.  Warner,  D.  D.,  1833. 
Rev.  J.  S.  Mills,  A.  M.,  1848. 


69 


CHARACTER  AND   DESTINY. 

We  see  the  dignity  and  value  of  human  life  when  we  remember  that  it 
gives  chara<5ter  to  our  future  endless  existence.  It  takes  the  ball  but  a 
moment  to  pass  through  the  gun's  muzzle;  but  that  momentary  passage 
fixes  the  bullet's  course.  If  the  gun's  muzzle  points  north,  to  the  north 
the  bullet  goes;  but  if  it  points  south,  southward  the  ball  flies.  It  takes 
the  coin  but  a  moment  to  pass  through  the  mint;  but  that  momentary 
passage  fixes  the  charadler  of  the  coin.  Whatever  stamp  it  receives  it  car- 
ries with  it  to  the  counting  -  room,  to  the  market,  to  the  place  of  exchange. 
I  hold  in  my  hand  a  gold  coin.  I  call  it  ten  dollars.  Others  who  once 
owned  it  called  it  ten  dollars.  I  know  not  through  what  places  of  ex- 
change it  had  passed;  but  I  know  that  through  all  these  places  of  exchange 
it  has  had  the  character  stamped  upon  it  as  it  passed  through  the  mint. 
So  with  us.  In  this  brief  period  called  human  life  we  settle  the  question 
what  we  shall  be  in  all  the  time  to  come.  Enoch  walked  with  God;  and 
he  was  not,  for  God  took  him.  Upward  was  the  bent  of  his  being,  and 
upward  he  went.  Moses  spurned  Egypt's  throne,  having  his  eyes  fixed  on 
the  invisible,  and  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  he  appeared  with  Christ 
in  glory.  His  eye  of  faith  was. turned  toward  the  Invisible,  and  to  the 
Invisible  he  went.  The  rich  man  was  worldly.  His  eyes  were  turned 
downward,  and  downward  he  went.  In  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being 
in  torment.  "Be  not  deceived,  God  is  not  mocked:  for  whatsoever  a  man 
soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap."  Every  soul  will  reach  its  own  level;  and 
every  one  settles  in  this  life  what  that  level  shall  be.  What  a  thought 
that  here  we  sow  the  seed  for  an  immortal  harvest!  What  a  tremendous 
significance  does  this   fa(5l  give  to  human  life!      "Give   me  the   trend   of 

your  life,  and  I  will  tell  you  your  destiny." 

kS.  a.  Mowers. 


70 


February  29. 


71 


HE   LEADETH   ME. 

All  the  way  ray  Savior  leads  me. 

Oh  how  sweet  it  is  to  feel, 
'  Though  I  walk  in  pain  and  weakness 

He  has  power  on  earth  to  heal. 

All  the  way  ray  Savior  leads  rae; 

And  he  knoweth  why  '  tis  good 
I  should  walk  beneath  the  shadows  — 

Kind  the  hand  that  holds  the  rod. 

All  the  way  my  Savior  leads  me, 

'  Though  his  ways  are  strange  to  me. 

He  is  with  rae,  I  will  walk  them, 
Trust  for  what  I  can  not  see. 

All  the  way  my  Savior  leads  me. 

'  Tis  a  blessed  thing  to  know, 
Where  he  leadeth  I  may  follow, 

Where  he  calleth  I  may  go. 

All  the  way  my  Savior  leads  me. 

Walk  I  now  the  narrow  road, 
'  Tis  the  one  he  bids  me  travel  — 

And  it  leadeth  home  to  God. 


Lizzie  Underwood. 


72 


OUR   PRAISE. 

with  eyes  intent  upon  the  stars, 

My  spirit  joins  the  twinkling  host 
In  breathing  praise  through  silent  lips 

To  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 

Anon  I  seek  the  shady  wood, 

And  catch  the  wild  bird's  joyous  note; 
Instant,  I  catch  the  wild  bird's  mood, 

And  pour  my  praise  through  joyous  throat. 

What  matter,  since  the  Father  hears 

Our  breathings  through  the  boundless  blue. 

As  well  our  wild,  delightful  song? 

What  matter — -so  our  praise  be  true? 

Lizzie  K.  Miller. 


7Z 


TENDENCY    OF    A  WRONG   FAITH. 

Men  can  not  be  long  without  some  faith,  without  beliefs  of  some  sort. 
When  the  bond  with  the  church  is  broken,  it  does  not  always  end  with 
indifferentism  or  honest  doubts  Other  beliefs  are  accepted.  Many  accept 
the  adage,  "I<et  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die."  There  is  noth- 
ing but  matter,  and  while  we  are  living  we  have  only  to  gratify  our  de- 
sires and  get  our  wishes.  Matter  is  the  end  of  all.  We  lose  life  and 
become  simply  dust.  Life  perpetuates  itself  in  other  forms,  but  in  us  it 
will  soon  end.  To  notions  like  these  the  books  give  the  name  material- 
ism.    Notions  like  these  do  not  make  people  stand  bravely  again.st  wrong 

and  vice.     Materialism  is  against  spiritual  religion. 

/.  A.  Loos. 


EDUCATION. 

Every  young  person  who  possibly  can  secure  a  thorough  education  and 
does  not  do  it,  makes  a  great  mistake.  He  may  not  realize  it  now,  and 
may  never  find  it  out;  but  it  is  nevertheless  a  sad  mistake.  It  will  rob 
him  of  usefulness  and  enjoyment.  It  will  circumscribe  his  influence  and 
narrow  the  range  of  his  mental  powers.  There  is  no  effort  so  honorable  as 
the  digging  for  knowledge;  no  sacrifice  more  praiseworthy  than  sacrifice 
made  for  mental  training.  The  greatest  blessing  for  a  young  person,  next 
to  heart -felt  religion  and  a  sound,  vigorous  body,  is  a  thorough  training 
under  competent  teachers.  "Stint,  starve  —  anything  to  get  an  education," 
was  the  motto  of  one  in  the  past  generation  oif  students;  and  there  seems 
to  be  little  reason  now  why  any  one  desiring  an  education  should  fail. 
With  seminaries  and  academies  at  our  doors,  endowed  colleges  and  benefi- 
ciary helps  to  lessen  the  expense,  a  collegiate  training  is  within  the  reach 

of  every  energetic  and  determined  young  man. 

D.  iV.   Howe. 


74 


March  i. 


March  2. 
Prof.  A.  W.  Drury,  D.  D.,  1851. 


use;  of  the  past. 

We  should  use  the  past  so  as  to  keep  open  in  the  soul  the  fountain  of 
gratitude.  Who  has  not  enjoyed  the  kindly  offices  of  friends?  Who  has 
not  been  the  recipient  of  some  precious  memento  ?  Who  has  not  received 
from  true,  dear  friends  words  of  kindness  and  cheer,  often  accompanied 
with  substantial  help?  Who  has  not  been  the  object  of  parental  care? 
Yea,  who  has  not  been  the  constant  recipient  of  the  mercies  and  blessings 
of  the  heavenly  Father?  Think  of  the  solicitude  of  a  father,  the  love 
and  sacrifice  of  a  mother,  the  instrucflion  and  influence  of  a  kind,  godly 
teacher,  the  delightful  association  of  a  school-mate,  the  joyous  company 
of  a  friend,  the  wondrous  deliverance  and  blessings  of  a  gracious  God,  the 
produces  of  human  genius  in  the  various  forms  of  invention,  discovery, 
laws,  government,  and  civilization,  and  let  the  consciousness  of  our  ever- 
lasting indebtedness  to  the  past  subserve  the  blessed  purpose  of  keeping 
open  in  the  human  soul  the  deep  fountains  of  gratitude  and  praise. 

G.  M.  Mathews. 


A  WORK   TO    GIvORY   IN. 

If  I  had  assisted  Gutenberg  in  his  great  invention  (the  press),  by  which 
we  are  able  to  bequeath  our  thoughts  to  the  civilized  world  and  the  un- 
born millions  of  the  coming  generations,  I  should  not  be  ashamed  of  it. 
If  I  had  assisted  Professor  Morse  in  the  invention  of  the  apparatus  by 
which  we  are  able  to  send  our  tidings  in  advance  of  the  wings  of  time 
and  the  steeds  of  the  hurricane,  I  should  not  be  ashamed  of  it.  If  I  had 
ever  assisted  God  in  making  a  grain  of  corn  or  wheat  or  oats,  I  should  not 
be  ashamed  of  that.  If  I  had  assisted  God  in  making  the  flowers  that  smile 
upon  the  fields,  the  shells  and  gems  and  pearls  that  sparkle  in  the  deep, 
and  the  golden  treasures  that  enrich  the  mine,  I  should  be  willing  to  have 
a  particular  account  of  the  whole  transaAion  written  in  a  book,  and  a  copy 
placed  in  every  library  and  in  every  family  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  If  I 
had  assisted  God  in  making  the  earth  with  its  furniture,  the  moon  with 
her  mountains,  craters,  and  caverns,  and  Jupiter  with  his  satellites,  I  should 
be  willing  to  have  the  fadls  written  on  the  rainbow  and  the  rings  of  Saturn 
in  letters  of  perpetual  fire.  But  I  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord  that  he 
grants  me  daily  the  privilege  of  assisting  him  in  a  greater  work  than  any 
or  all  of  these  —  even  the  work  of  rescuing  deathless  souls  from  eternal 
riiin.  J.  K.  Alivood. 

76 


March  3. 
Bishop  Samuel  Heistand,  1781. 


March  4. 


77 


HUNGRY   MINDS. 

We  frequently  meet  with  those  who  are  hungry  for  an  education,  and 

will  not  be  satisfied  without  it.     They  are  devouring  every  book  that  comes 

in   their  way.     They  should  be  in  colleges,  but  will  not  be.     Sometimes 

want  of  money  prevents.     Indeed,  this  is  often  the  only  cause.     Many  of 

the  brightest  minds  in  the  land  are  found  in  log -cabins.     But  poverty  is 

not  always  the  hinderance.     Parents  with  abundant  means  are  opposed  to 

putting  money  to  as  "poor  a  use"  as  that  of  sending  a  son  or  daughter  to 

college.     This  is  a  great  mistake,  and  often  results  in  wrecking  a  hopeful 

life.     A  hungry,  starving  mind  is  an  obje<5t  of  pity.     The  defeat  of  a  legit- 

itnate   ambition  is  sure  to  lead  to  disaster  in  many  instances.     A  starved 

intelleA  is  of  but  little  use  in  the  adtivities  of  life.    Work  not  done  may 

often  be  traced  to  this  as  a  cause. 

Z.  Warner. 


THE   BIBLE  AND  THE   UNGODLY. 

Men  do  not  like  to  read  the  Bible,  because  the  spirit  of  it  condemns  a 
sinful  life.  God's  children  delight  to  read  it  because  it  is  a  lamp  to  their 
feet  and  a  guide  to  their  path.  It  promises  rest  to  the  burdened  and  com- 
fort to  the  weary.  Those  sweet  words  of  Jesus,  "Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled,"  have  calmed  the  troubled  breast  of  many  a  tempest  -  tossed  mar- 
iner on  the  voyage  of  life.  But  to  the  sinner  it  speaks  of  death,  outer 
darkness,  eternal  night,  where  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of 
teeth.  The  Bible  discloses  to  sinful  man  that  there  is  discord  somewhere 
between  the  soul,  the  spirit  of  order  about,  and  the  God  who  looks  within. 
In  the  light  of  this  truth  man  either  comes  to  Christ  and  accepts  the 
ransom  he  has  made  for  sin,  or  hastens  to  drown  all  feeling  in  the  tumult 
of  a  busy  world,  or  perchance  rushes  to  the  extremes  of  a  vicious  life,  and 

dies  without  hope  and  without  God  in  the  world. 

Georore  Keister. 


78 


March  5. 


March  6. 


79 


THE   GOSPEI.  AND  THE   HEATHEN. 

When    a    heathen    becomes   a    Christian,  the    laws    of    his    country,  its 

religion    and    institutions,   are    all,    or    most     all,    against    him.      There    is 

nothing  in  his    surroundings   and   associations   that  would   tend   to   elevate 

his  mind   or  heart  to  things   above.     He  Is  a  new  creature  in  Christ,  and 

finds  no  pleasure  in  the  things   he    once   loved.      They  are   all  foolishness 

and  error  to  him   now,  and   he   realizes   that   he   has   found  the  "pearl   of 

great    price,"  and    entreats  his   friends  to   seek  the   same    precious  faith. 

None  are   more  rejoiced  in  finding  the  precious  boon  than  the  oppressed 

women  and  slaves  of  those  lands. 

Mrs.  M.  B.   B ridsrenian. 


SELF  -  FORGETFULNESS. 

He  who  trusts  God  and  does  his  duty  will  find  the  way  of  usefulness 
and  happiness  and  success  open  wide.  He  who  distrusts  God  becomes 
distrustful  of  his  fellow -men,  and  will  soon  be  found  out.  '  True  merit 
and  faithful  toil  for  the  Master  will  commend  a  man  to  the  confidence 
of  Christian  people  a  thousand  times  more  than  he  can  secure  by  all  his 
special  efforts  to  secure  the  favor  of  the  people.  Those  who  are  the  most 
successful  in  life  think  little  about  themselves.  In  the  world  and  its  af- 
fairs men  take  good  heed  to  themselves.  Sometimes  men  in  the  church 
and  in  the  ministry  think  they  can  serve  their  interests  better  by  looking 
closely  to  them  than  by  trusting  to  the  I<ord  and  the  church.  This  is  a 
great  mistake.  True  merit  finds  a  seasonable  recognition.  It  wins  its  way 
to  a  position  from  which  no  foe  can  cast  the  possessor  down.  A  good 
man  does  not  have  to  arrange  his  own  life.  God  does  that  for  him.  It 
is  a  wonderful  experience  for  the  heart  to  feel  and  to  know  that  the  life 
is  in  the  hands  of  the  L,ord.  It  makes  the  I,ord  more  precious  and  makes 
the  life  a  thousand  times  m.ore  sacred,  as  well  as  ten  thousand  times  mo:e 

happy. 

J.  W.  Hott. 


80 


March  7. 
Rev.  Jacob  A.  Clemm,  1825. 


March  8. 
Rev.  Enoch  Harper,  1842. 


THE   CHRIvSTlAN'S   GOIvDEN  AGE. 

With  many  of  the  ancient  heathens  the  golden  age  always  lay  in  the 
past.  It  had  gone  by — irrevocably  gone;  and  all  that  was  left  them  was 
to  mourn  the  good  past  and  bear  as  best  they  might  the  ills  of  the  pres- 
ent. With  the  Christian  the  good  time,  the  be.st,  lies  on  before.  He  looks 
out  and  makes  provisions  for  a  better  time.  Even  the  day  of  his  death  is 
better  than  the  day  of  his  birth.  So  the  organized  church,  not  unmindful 
of  the  glorious  achievements  of  the  past, —  indeed,  looking  over  the  records 
with  a  degree  of  satisfaAion  and  gratitude,  here  a  field  of  strife  and  blood- 
shed, there  a  bitter  controversy,  but  each  time  a  glorious  triumph  for  the 
right,  and  the  hosts  of  God  increasing  in  gratifying  numbers, —  restlessly 
and  nervously  exclaims,  "There  are  better  times  ahead  for  us;"  and  like 

an  eagle,  it  plumes  itself  for  an  upward  flight. 

G.  A.  Funkhouser. 


OTTERBEIN'S   HUMIUIY. 

Otterbein  was,  no  doubt,  a  learned,  good,  and  great  man,  and  was  so 
acknowledged  by  his  contemporaries  of  different  denominations;  but  it  was 
never  his  desire  to  receive  honor  from  man.  Indeed,  he  seems  to  have 
purposely  avoided  everything  which  would  in  any  way  lead  to  worship  of 
himself     His  highest  ambition  seems  to  have  been  — 

"To  be  little  and  unknown; 
Loved  and  praised  of  God  alone." 

Could  we   now  consult  him,  he  would  doubtless   exhort  us  to  employ  our 

time   in   becoming  better  acquainted  with  the   I<ord  Jesus   Christ,  instead 

of  following  the   example   of  such  as  would  canonize  and  worship  every 

distinguished  leader  in  their  respective  churches.     Let  man  decrease,  but 

let  Christ  increase. 

D.  Edwards,  18^8. 


82 


March  9. 
Rev.  David  A.  Beauchamp,  1831. 


March  10. 
Rev.  S.  W.  Kern,  1818. 


83 


PRACTICAL,  CHARITY. 

Christ  asks  not  that  our  love  should  equal  his,  but  that  there  be  a  re- 
semblance; not  that  it  be  of  the  same  strength,  but  of  the  same  kind.  If 
you  would  be  prepared  to  labor  for  God  and  for  souls,  have  charity.  A 
result  of  every  professed  Christian  possessing  this  love  would  be  that  the 
coming  months  would  be  replete  in  the  salvation  of  precious  souls,  and 
sinners  would  flock  to  the  fold  of  Christ  like  doves  to  the  windows. 

/.  IV.  Lilly. 


PIETY. 

Can  there  be  a  well  -  developed  piety  in  the  church  without  a  due  conse- 
cration to  the  Head  of  the  church  ?  As  well  might  we  expeA  the  earth  in 
the  regions  of  eternal  snows  to  bring  forth  fruits  abundantly  as  to  expedl 
to  find  piety  in  the  heart  frozen  by  the  death -chill  of  covetousness.  And 
how  essential  to  Christian  charadler  true  piety  is!  It  is  the  vital  spark, 
the  heavenly  fire  of  the  soul.  It  purifies,  quickens,  and  energizes  the 
whole  being;  and  its  votary  moves  among  his  fellows  like  a  living  flame. 
In  the  moral  world  it  is  the  true  philosopher's  stone,  for  whatever  it 
touches  is  changed  into  gold.  What,  I  ask  in  heaven's  name,  is  more 
needed  at  the  present  time  in  the  church  and  out  of  the  church  in  our 
own  country,  yes,  in  all  countries,  than  a  well  -  developed  piety  among  all 

classes  ? 

E.  B.  Kephart. 


March  ii. 


March  12. 


85 


POLLUTING  the;   air. 

The  Creator  has  given  an  abundance  of  free,  pure  air  for  all  to  breathe, 
just  such  as  is  needed  to  sustain  life;  and  I  wonder  what  earthly  right,  or 
any  other  kind  of  right,  any  one  has  to  fill  it  with  tobacco  -  smoke  so  that 
it  is  unfit  to  inhale.  There  is  no  such  right.  It  is  a  grand  imposition, 
and  an  encroachment  upon  the  rights  of  our  fellows,  and  if  it  were  not  for 
the  fa<5l  that  I  see  some  well-dressed  men  guilty  of  this  offense,  I  would 
call  it  a  violation  of  the  laws  of  decency  and  good  manners.  It  is  a  de- 
praved interference  with  God -given  human  rights. 

/.   Crouse. 


WILLING   SERVICE. 

Life  is  full  of  opportunities  for  earnest  work.  God  asks  our  help  for 
the  furtherance  of  his  plans  —  for  the  elevation  of  men.  Not  all  may  have 
the  privilege  of  doing  great  things,  for  the  greater  part  of  life's  work  con- 
sists of  little  duties;  but  the  high  privilege  of  doing  all  these  willingly 
may  be  attained  by  all.  Pride  and  ambition  may  seek  only  prominent 
places  in  which  to  labor,  and  scruple  not  to  pursue  a  double  course  to 
gain  their  ends.  Such  service  shall  not  be  remembered.  But  the  tired 
heart  that  feels  the  common  and  uninteresting  duties  it  performs  scarcely 
worthy  of  the  Father's  notice,  may  joyfully  remember  that  the  proof  of 
our  readiness  to  work  is  found  in  our  willingness  to  do  any  and  all  kinds 

of  work,  only  so  it  be  for  the  Master. 

Lucy  D.  Williams,. 


March  13. 
Rev.  John  Wesley  Etter,  D.  D.,  1846. 


March  14. 


87 


THE   DUTY   OF  TOTAL   ABSTINENCE. 

All  know  that  the  habit  of  dram  -  drinking  is  an  evil,  and  that  continu- 
ally, and  that  it  usually  leads  to  the  most  degrading  and  brutal  dissipa- 
tion. .  It  is  evil  in  its  tendency,  both  to  the  physical  and  moral  man,  and 
often  brings  most  fearful  destrudlion  upon  its  viAims.  It  has  been  truth- 
fully said  that  intemperance  kills  more  than  the  sword.  It  kills  the  repu- 
tation, the  usefulness,  earthly  prosperity  and  comfort,  the  body  and  soul, 
and,  worse  than  all,  it  kills  innocent  wives  and  children.  Is  it  not,  then, 
evil  in  its  charadler  and  tendency;  and  should  not  every  Christian  not  only 
touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not,  but  swallow  not  the  accursed  thing? 

IV.  J.  Sluiey,  18^9. 


THE  SUNDAY -SCHOOL  TEACHER'S  MISSION. 

The  teacher's  concern  should  not  be  for  the  safety  of  the  truth,  but  for 
the  safety  of  his  pupils;  for 

' '  Truth  crushed  to  earth  will  rise  again  ; 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers." 

But  a  soul  lost  is  lost  beyond  recovery.     Man's  stay  here  is  limited,  and  yet 

it  affords  the  only  opportunity  of  escaping  the  dangers  of  sin  and  the  horrorg 

of  the   wrath  to  come.      The   teacher's   mission  is,  therefore,  a  holy  one  — 

pointing  like  a  prophet's  wand  to  a  better  life  and  a  better  clime.     In  the 

tender,  teachable,  and  pliable  heart  of  the  child  is  found  soil  for  the  seed 

of  truth.      HoTV  to  sow  should  be  the   question;    not  merely  what  to  sow. 

Sow  the  truth  of  God's  blessed  word.      Sow  the  rich   seed   meted   out  by 

the  Spirit  from  the  store  -  house  of  grace,  and  sow  that   a  harvest  may  be 

reaped  for  God  in  the  eternity  to  come. 

/.  H.  Snyder. 


March  15. 


March  16. 


S9 


THE  I.IFE  TO  COME. 

We  are  now  making  up  our  accounts  for  the  future.  The  good  person 
lives  well  and  dies  well,  and  secures  the  highest  felicity  of  the  life  be- 
yond. Sickness  and  sorrow  may  fall  to  his  lot  here,  but  he  knows  that 
"all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God."  There  is  a 
better  day  coming.  Oh,  how  this  cheers  the  Christian  in  the  rugged  road 
of  life.  It  will  be  better  after  awhile.  Joy  cometh  in  the  morning.  To- 
morrow we  will  be  in  the  city  "where  they  die  no  more,"  but  where  they 
"shall  be  like  Jesus  and  see  him  as  he  is."  No  night  in  heaven.  For- 
ever saved  and  happy.  Forever  with  the  pure  and  good.  No  mother 
departing  from  her  children;  no  children  leaving  the  dear  old  home  and 
causing  bitter  tears  to  flow.  No  winding-sheet,  no  coffin,  no  grave -yard 
there.     The  days  of  their  mourning  are   ended.     Thank  God   for  such  a 

home  as  this.      Glorious  future! 

B.  F.  Booth. 


•     FAMILY   REUNIONS. 

There  is  no  remembrance  to  me  so  pleasant  as  that  of  the  annual  re- 
unions of  my  well -beloved  aunts  and  uncles,  with  their  respective  troops 
of  cousins,  at  the  house  of  my  dear  grandmother,  of  blessed  memory. 
It  was  pleasant  to  watch  the  carriages  (there  were  no  railroads  then)  one 
by  one  coming  in,  laden  with  friends  who  had  traveled  many  a  weary 
mile  to  be  present  on  the  ' '  great  occasion. ' '  It  was  pleasant  to  witness 
the  mutual  recognitions  of  brothers  and  sisters,  and  the  warm  greetings  of 
their  respedlive  wives  and  husbands;  to  observe  the  transports  of  the  "lit- 
tle fellows"  in  their  first  meeting  after  a  long  twelve -month,  and  to  hear 
their  expressions  of  mingled  surprise  and  delight  on  being  introduced  to 
the  "strange  little  cousins,"  whose  presence  increased  the  number  con- 
siderably above  the   preceding  census,  —  all   these  were   delightful  scenes 

to  look  upon  and  take  part  in. 

B.  R.  Hanby. 


90 


March  17. 
Jacob  Hoke,  1825. 


March  18. 
Bishop  John  Russell,  1799. 


91 


INFI^UENCE   OF  THE   BIBI.E. 

In  a  very  important  sense  the  Bible  has  made  our  turnpikes,  canals, 
railroads,  as  well  as  the  cars,  boats,  and  wagons  used  on  them.  It  has 
made  our  good  houses,  steam -mills,  factories,  ships,  our  trades,  profes- 
sions, and  books.  It  has  made  our  telegraph  lines  by  which  we  converse 
with  our  friends  thousands  of  miles  distant  from  us.  But  these  are  the 
less  important  blessings  it  confers.  Our  feeble  powers  are  inadequate  to 
enumerate  the  spiritual  benefits  it  lavishes  upon  us.  Take  from  us  the 
Bible,  and  with  it  must  go  the  holy  Sabbath,  the  preaching  of  the  sandlu- 
ary,  the  institutions  of  the  church,  the  liberties,  social,  civil,  and  religious, 
which  we  enjoy,  and  our  hope  of  heaven. 

D.  K.  Flickinger. 


MARRIAGE. 

Marriage!    What  a  relationship.     Ever  since  humanity  has  had  a  history, 

God  has  put  honor  on  marriage.     When  in   Eden   purity,  man  was  put   in 

this  felicitous  state.      It  is  one  of  the  institutions  —  the  Christian  Sabbath 

tlie  other — that  has  survived  the  wreck  and  ruin  of  the  fall.     In  these  two 

institutions,  rightly  observed,  something  of  Eden   is  still   left  to  us.      One 

man,  one  woman,  the   twain   made   one,  was   God's  order   in   Eden.     It  is 

his  order  out  of  Eden.     Out  of  this  order  come  the  family,  the   home,  the 

church,  and  the  school.     "  He  setteth  the  solitary  in  families."     How  blessed 

this  order.      Onlv  man  has  a  home.     Beasts  have  dens  and  lairs,  birds  have 

nests,  man   has  a  home  —  the  retreat  of  the  heart.      Home  is  where  the 

heart  is.      Possession,  wife,  and  love  make  home.     This  relationship  is  a 

blessing  to   the   individual,  the  church,  and   the  state.     Keep  it  pure  and 

the  church  will  grow  and  the  state  is  safe. 

N.  Castle. 


92 


March  19. 
Bishop  Joseph  Hofifman,  1780.         Rev.  E.  Light,  1834. 


March  20. 
Rev.  Samuel  M.  Hippard,  1834. 


93 


WE   MUST  EDUCATE. 

The  world  is  educating,  and  will  educate,  whether  the  church  does  or 
not.  This  is  the  established  order  of  the  day  in  our  nation.  We  can  no 
more  prevent  it  than  we  can  keep  the  sun  from  shining.  The  young  men 
of  our  day  will  educate.  Intelledtual  adlivity  and  vigor  are  in  demand 
everywhere  —  in  the  commercial  as  well  as  the  moral  and  religious  spheres 
of  life.  Every  calling  is  offering  a  premium  for  men  who  can  think  cor- 
re(5lly,  vigorously,  and  pradlically.  Both  money  and  position  are  within 
the  grasp  of  such  men.  The  masses  are  not  slow  to  discern  this  fadl,  and 
are  earnestly  endeavoring  to  accommodate  themselves  to  it. 

P.  H.  Wagner. 


BENEVOI.ENCE. 

The  system  of  the  gospel  and  the  promises  of  the  Bible  all  center  in 
benevolence  as  the  lines  of  Christian  faith  and  pra(5lice.  When  we  dedi- 
cate our  wealth  to  the  good  of  the  church  and  the  glory  of  God,  we  extradl 
the  poison  from  our  riches  and  wisely  register  in  the  book  of  heaven  that 
which  will  weigh  in  our  favor  in  the  final  reckoning.  I  shall  be  happy 
in  this  effort  if  harmony  can  be  established  between  the  Creator  and  the 
creature.  "The  heavens  will  hear  the  earth,  and  the  earth  will  hear  the 
heavens."  Benevolence  is  the  image  of  God  and  the  expression  of  his 
essence  —  the  chief  a(5lion  of  man's  felicity  on  earth,  the  brightest  ray  of 

man's  hope  for  glory. 

J.  W.  Fulkerson. 


94 


March  21. 


March  22. 


95 


THK  UNIVERSE   VOCAI,  WITH   PRAISE. 

'  The  universe  is  musical  throughout.  The  heavens  declare  God's  glory 
in  songs.  We  may  not  always  hear  them,  but  there  are  harmonies  of 
earth  that  respond  to  those  of  the  skies.  The  melody  of  flowing  waters, 
the  soft  music  of  the  breezes,  the  gushing  tide  of  song  poured  forth  from 
the  throats  of  myriads  of  feathered  warblers,  the  lowing  of  herds,  the  bleat- 
ing of  flocks,  in  every  variety  of  tone  and  modulation,  have  an  effedl  of 
harmony  to  which  the  dullest  can  not  be  insensible.  These  voices  and 
many  more  are  laden  with  joys,  and  raise  the  soul  to  its  Maker. 

U^.  R.  Rhinehart. 


THE  TEMPLE   OF   CHARACTER. 

There  is  a  temple  "not  made  with  hands,"  and  it  is  a  strong  and  pure 
human  charaAer;  and  when  it  is  finished,  is  perfedled,  what  a  beautiful 
temple  it  is  —  its  foundations  of  truth,  its  pillars  and  walls  of  strength,  its 
door-posts  and  doors  of  gentleness  and  temperance,  its  windows  of  trans- 
parent purity  whiter  than  snow  and  cleaner  than  wool,  and  its  spires  of 
faith,  all  shining  with  resplendent  luster  in  the  sunlight  of  God's  love 
and  favor.  It  is  more  charming  to  the  eye  of  God  than  the  temple  called 
Solomon's  with  all  its  surpassing  glory,  the  temple  "exceedingly  magnif- 
ical,"  or  than  the  star -lit  orbs  that  scatter  their  gold-dust  of  light  from 
the  firmanent  by  night.  It  is  more  valuable  to  its  owner  than  the  palaces 
of  kings  and  the  temples  of  the  gods  all  piled  together  and  iheir  dazzling 
splendors  wrought  into  one,  the  magnificence  of  which  would  excel  all 
past  architectural  beauty;  yea,  more  than  the  stars,  were  they  so  many 
huge,  sparkling  diamonds.  Many  such  temples  adorn  this  world  to-day; 
and  while  there  are  in  this  world  many  beautiful  things  that  charm  the 
ear  and  eye  and  heart,  they  are  its  chief  and  crowning  beauties. 

R.  Rod:. 

96 


March  23. 
Prof.  Henry  A.  Thompson,  D.  D.,  lyl^.  D.,  1837. 


March  24. 
Rev.  Solomon  Voneida,  1809. 


97 


THE  BIBI,E. 

All  its  precepts  concerning  all  things  are  right.  Where  else  will  you 
find  such  a  code  of  laws?  And  it  is  true  that  the  word  of  God  enjoins 
nothing  but  what  is  right  toward  God  and  man.  It  condemns  falsehood, 
deceit,  dishonesty,  —  everything,  indeed,  that  looks  like  hypocrisy  and 
false  dealing.  What  a  heaven  truly  below  we  would  have  if  every  man 
would  "love  God  with  all  his  heart  and  his  neighbor  as  himself."  It 
would  close  up  every  rum -hole  and  every  gambling  den  and  every  other 
vile  den.  It  would  make  every  bushel  measure  thirty -two  quarts,  every 
yard  thirty -six  inches,  and  every  cord  one  hundred  and  twenty -eight  feet. 
There  would  be  no  strife  between  labor  and  capital,  for  every  employer 
would  give  a  fair  day's  wages  for  a  full  day's  work,  and  every  employe 
would  give  a  full  day's  work  for  a  fair  day's  wages.  And  so  we  would 
have  no  panics,  no  bribed  legislators,  no  bought  judges.  The  universal 
observance  of  Bible  law  would  bring  about  such  a  state  of  society,  such 
righteous  dealing  between  individuals,  communities,  and  nations  as  the 
world  has  never  known.  J.  Dickson. 

ESSENTlAIv  PRINCIPI.es. 

In  nature,  as  in  religion,  we  come  first  to  the  outer  court,  then  to  the 
holy  place,  and  lastly  to  the  holy  of  holies.  In  the  innermost  sandluary 
of  nature  we  stand  face  to  face  with  God,  and  for  such  a  revelation  we  are 
are  not  meet.  No  doubt  Adam  was  granted  a  diredl,  immediate  appre- 
hension of  the  determining,  governing  principles  of  nature.  To  him  God 
brought  every  beast  of  the  iield  and  every  fowl  of  the  air,  and  whatsoever 
Adam  called  every  living  creature  that  was  the  name  thereof,  and  that 
name  corresponded  with  the  nature  thereof.  Adam  apprehended  then  di- 
redlly  the  inner  relations  of  nature.  With  the  loss  of  his  first  estate  went 
Adam's  exalted  privilege;  and  now  we  may  approach  the  tree  of  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  only  as  we  approach  a 
meetness  for  immortal  life.  Only  as  we  regain  what  man  lost  in  the  fall 
may  we  know  aught  of  the  hidden  life  of  nature.  In  short,  man  is  morally 
incapacitated  for  a  diredl  revelation  of  the  ultimate  force  in  nature.  Even 
nature,  in  its  constitution  and  economy,  bears  record  to  the  fa6l  that  the 
highest  scientific  attainment  is  inseparably  bound  up  with  religious  knowl- 
edge and  moral  holiness,  or  likeness  to  God,  the  author  and  upholder  of 
nature.  E.  Light. 


March  25. 
Rev.  Z.  A.  Colestock,  1824. 


March  26. 


99 


RESPONSIBIIvlTY. 

Men  are  born  unto  responsibility.  It  is  not  a  question  whether  they 
will  assume  it  or  not.  They  may  choose  their  pursuit  in  life,  but  often 
in  God's  providence  they  are  led  into  positions  and  have  burdens  put 
upon  them  which  of  themselves  they  would  never  have  selec^ted.  Men 
often  find  occasion  to  bles§  God  for  thrusting  them  into  places  whither 
of  their  own  accord  they  never  would  have  gone,  and  demanding  of  them 
work  which  they  never  supposed  they  could  perform.  Providence  puts 
this  responsibility  upon  us  for  our  good  and  the  good  of  the  race.  We 
may  weaken  our  powers  so  as  to  unfit  us  for  the  accomplishment  of  the 
work,  but  we  are  none  the  less  held  to  the  obligation. 

H.  A.  Thompson. 


RKAWTIES  OP  HEAVEN. 

We  are  too  apt  to  content  ourselves  with  vague  ideas  of  the  glory  of 
heaven.  Half  our  thoughts  are  lost  in  a  kind  of  -dreamy  uncertainty,  as 
if  the  bliss  of  heaven  were  only  true  in  part.  But  it  is  real.  Yes,  it  is 
real  in  a  degree  far  above  anything  we  call  real  here;  a  real  heaven,  a 
real  place,  a  real  home,  and  a  real  happiness,  deeper,  brighter,  and  more 
lasting  than  was  ever  known  on  earth.  Here  in  this  land  of  shadows  we 
often  sit  weeping  among  ruins,  like  melancholy  Marius  among  the  heaps 
of  Carthage,  calling  back  things  that  have  died  only  to  see  them  die  again. 
But  cheer  up,  my  friends,  there  is  a  home  for  you  where  no  ruins  are,  a 
land  of  ever -increasing  delights,  where  fields  are  green  and  flowers  never 
die.  There,  on  the  banks  of  that  beautiful  river,  you  will  see  and  know 
your  loved  ones  who  have  gone  from  you.  In  that  pure,  blessed  world 
will  be  life  without  death,  day  without  night,  beauty  without  blemish, 
bloom  without  decay,  youth  without  age,  meetings  without  partings. 

J.  Weaver. 


March  27. 


March  28. 


CROSS   AND   CROWN. 

The  cross  consists  not  simply  in  the   prayers  we  may  offer,  nor  in  the 

Christian    experiences  we    may  relate,  nor   in   the   money  we    may  give   to 

the  church,  but  more  in  our  willingness  to  suffer  with  and  for  Christ.     If 

we  can  afford  to  be   persecuted   for  righteousness'  sake;    if  we  can  afford 

to  have  all   manner  of  evil   spoken   against  us  because  of  our  separation 

from  the   world;  if  we   can   deny  ourselves   of  all  worldly  pleasures,  and 

find  in  Christ  and  his  religion  our  chief  joy  and  comfort, — then  have  we 

assurances  of  a  better  inheritance  over  the  river. 

J.  L.  Luttrell. 


THE   CHRISTIAN   HOME. 

There  ought  to  be  more  good  books  and  good  papers  and  good  music 
in  the  home.  You  say  the  boys  do  not  care  for  books  and  papers.  You 
have  not  tried  to  suit  their  wants  or  to  teach  them  the  treasures  of  liter- 
ature. Try  that.  Get  them  good  books.  It  is  a  shame,  it  is  a  sin,  that 
many  Christian  homes  have  so  few  good  books  and  such  a  small  amount 
of  periodical  literature.  There  ought  to  be  music  in  the  home.  Have  a 
singing  -  class.  Get  an  instrument  of  music,  no  matter  how  humble  it  may 
be.  Have  a  piano  or  organ  or  dulcimer  or  flute.  Have  some  instrument 
of  music,  and  get  a  teacher  to  start  the  boys  and  girls  to  play.  There  is 
many  a  burden  of  sorrow  and  weight  of  pain  and  oppressive  care  which 
can  be  lightened  by  a  song.  There  is  many  a  lonely  hour  that  can  be 
made  cheerful  with  music.  There  is  many  a  joy  of  the  heart  that  can  be 
sweetened  and  broadened  by  dividing  it  with  the  family  group  in  song. 

We  plead  for  more  music  in  the  home. 

/.  W.  Hott. 


March  29. 


March  30. 


103 


THE  LIQUOR  TRAFFIC. 

I  call  upon  every  one  here  to  do  what  he  can  under  God  to  crush  out 
this  infamous  wrong.  I  call  upon  every  boy  to  pledge  himself  to  total 
abstinence,  that  he  himself  may  be  safe  from  the  dreadful  effecfts  of 
drink  and  lend  a  wholesome  influence  to  others.  I  call  upon  every  young 
lady  to  refuse  the  attentions  and  hand  of  any  and  every  young  man  who 
drinks,  that  she  may  save  herself  from  the  shame  and  degradation  of  a 
drunkard's  wife,  and  help  make  drinking-  habits  appear  as  low  and  des- 
picable as  they  really  are.  I  call  upon  every  young  man  to  shun  these 
dens  of  iniquity  as  he  would  shun  a  yawning  hell,  that  he  himself  may 
escape  a  drunkard's  end,  and  bless  society  with  a  total  -  abstinence  life.  I 
call  upon  every  person,  to  discriminate  against  it,  to  give  no  influence  or 
patronage  to  the  acctirsed  business.  I  call  upon  every  voter  to  make  it 
an  issue  at  every  eledlion,  until  whisky  -  drinkers  and  liquor  -  dealers  will 
shame  to  ask  the  suffrage  of  respecflable  people,  and  until  prohibition, 
universal  and  complete,  shall  be  proclaimed.  I  call  upon  every  Christian 
to  wage  an  eternal  war  against  this  curse  of  curses,  until  it  shrinks  back 
to  its  native  hell,  no  more  to  blotch  society  or  damn  immortal  souls.  In 
the  name  of  all  that  is  near  and  dear  to  you  as  Christians,  I  urge  you  to 
crush  out  this  baneful  evil.  In  the  name  of  thousands  of  happy  homes 
it  has  blighted,  I  urge  you  to  bare  your  arms  and  strike  down  the  wither- 
ing blight.  In  the  name  of  thousands  of  noble  wives  whom  it  has  worse 
than  widowed,  I  urge  you  to  espouse  their  cause  and  dethrone  the  mon- 
ster. In  the  name  of  tens  of  thousands  of  precious  children  whom  it  has 
worse  than  orphaned,  I  urge  you  to  redress  their  wrongs  and  destroy  the 
curse.  In  the  name  of  social  order  and  family  joys  which  it  has  trampled 
down  and  destroyed,  I  urge  you  to  rise  up  and  wipe  out  this  accursed 
blotch.  In  the  name  of  our  republican  institutions  which  it  has  usurped 
and  sought  to  destroy,  I  urge  you  to  vindicate  the  right  and  destroy  this 
traitorous  evil.  In  the  name  of  our  holy  religion  whose  altars  it  has  torn 
down  and  whose  communicants  it  has  decimated,  I  urge  you  to  rest  not 

till  this  child  of  hell  is  driven  back  to  its  native  home. 

D.  N.  Howe. 


104 


March  31. 
Rev.  John  A.  Crayton,  1829. 


105 


Giving  is  an  essential  part  of  the  Christian   religion  from  beginning  to 

end. 

John   Goodin. 

If  a  man  has   sense  he  can  always  get  a  congregation,  and  it  will  take 

sensible  preachers  to  convert  the  world. 

Jacob  Bachtel,  Jr. 

If  a  man  is  a  Christian  he  has  two  chara<5lers  to  support,  a  moral  and  a 

religious   character ;  and  his  religious  character  can  not  stand  good  in  the 

estimation  of  men  unless  his  moral  charaAer  is  well  supported  by  his  own 

good  condu(5l. 

William  Davis,  i8j6. 

What  noble  work  the  women  of  the  different  churches  are  doing  in  the 

missionary  cause!      We  have  great  reason  to  thank  God  for  the  past;  and 

rich  hopes  and  bright  prospe<5ls  for  the  future  loom  up  before  us.    What 

great  encouragement  to  do,  when    such    great  successes  crown  the  feblest 

efforts. 

Katie  P.  Beatty. 

If  there  ever  has  been  a  period  in  the  history  of  our  country  when  the 
true  friends  of  Christ  should  be  awake  to  the  cause  of  Christian  educa- 
tion, this  is  the  time.  The  church  should  fully  prepare  herself  to  confront 
the  devotees  of  darkness  and  sin  by  giving  her  youth  the  advantages  of 
a  good  education,    that  her  sons  and  daughters  may  prove  more  than  a 

match  for  the  opponents  of  truth. 

W.   C.  Smith,  1S70. 

What  God  could  have  done  is  not  our  province  to  decide.     One  thing, 

however,   is  certain:     He   has,  in   many   cases,   converted  a   solitary   sinner 

in  the  wilderness,  without    outside  agencies,  through  which  as  instruments 

the  way  was  opened  for  the  gospel.      But,  as  a  general  rule,  he  sends  his 

missionaries    into    the    remote    corners  of  the    earth  with  the  command, 

"Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature, "  and 

when  he  has  a  particular  v/ork  for  an  individual  to  perform,  impressions 

are  made  upon  his  tuind  to  that  efifedl. 

Samuel  Htibef 

106 


REMEMBER   HIM   NOW. 

Remember  in  youth  thy  Creator  and  King, 
In  thy  vigor  and  strength  some  kind  oflfering  bring; 
Oh,  sing  of  his  mercies,  with  loud  voice  and  strong, 
Sing  praises  to  him  to  whom  praises  belong. 

Remember  him  now,  lest  in  vague  coming  years. 
Dark  days  of  adversity,  sorrow,  and  tears, 
Like  untimely  frosts  upon  autumn  flowers  fair, 
May  weaken  thy  voice  and  thy  memory  impair. 

I<et  thy  presence  and  love  chase  the  shadows  away 
From  homes  where  the  wretched  and  desolate  stay, 
And  wipe  from  the  little  child's  ej'es  the  sad  tear, 
Who  lovingly  trusts  thy  brave  heart  in  its  fear. 

Consider  the  skill,  the  great  wisdom,  and  might. 
Seen  in  works  of  creation,  which  dazzle  the  sight, 
The  splendor  of  planets,  the  order  and  grace 
In  which  they  revolve,  held  suspended  in  space. 

Let  nature  and  science  and  scripture,  combined 
With  the  strucflure  of  man  and  all  things  of  that  kind. 
Be  topics  of  converse,  of  pure  sober  thought; 
Thus  the  hand  that  created  shall  not  be  forgot. 

Julia  C.  Elwell. 


107 


SPRING. 

It  is  so  much  pleasanter  in  the  sunshine,  amid  the  warbler's  sweet 
songs,  to  contemplate  our  mercies  and  give  to  God  a  tribute  of  praise 
for  his  great  goodness  to  the  children  of  men.  O  sweet  Spring!  type  of 
resurredtion,  we  welcome  thy  return.  In  thy  absence  many  poor  and  desti- 
tute ones  have  suffered  greatly.  Heartless  old  Winter  has  pinched,  bitten, 
shook,  chilled,  and  even  killed  many,  which  he  could  not  have  done  hadst 
thou  been  here.  And  as  we  say  good -by  to  old  Winter,  we  welcome  thee, 
sweet  Spring.  Now  that  Spring  is  here  and  all  hearts  are  joyous,  let 
none  forget  that  ere  the  leaves  unfold  and  the  flowers  bloom,  or  even  the 

grass  shoots  forth,  we  may  be  gone. 

J.  L.  Ljittrell. 


THE  VAI.UE   OF   BOOKS. 

As  the  wholesome  viands  of  a  liberally  laden  table  tempt  and  satiate 
the  appetite,  so  the  volumes  that  laden  the  shelves  of  the  librai-y  lure  and 
aid  the  mind  in  its  pursuit  of  knowledge.  And  as  the  mind  is  superior 
to  the  body,  so,  if  we  are  diligent  in  providing  food  for  the  latter,  much 
more  diligent  should  we  be  in  making  suitable  provisions  for  the  wants 
of  the  former.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  estimate  the  value  of  books. 
Think  of  this  world  as  it  was  five  hundred  years  ago!  Not  a  printed 
book  —  only  a  few  musty  manuscripts,  and  they  in  the  hands  of  the  fa- 
vored. Now,  thanks  to  the  printer's  art  and  to  the  public  library,  the 
masses  have  access  to  the  literary  treasures  of  the  world.  By  the  aid  of 
books  we  live  over  the  lives  of  great  men  of  former  centuries.  We  think 
their  thoughts,  we  fight  their  battles,  we  are  familiarized  with  their  virtues, 
and  we  are  inspired  to  more  noble  endeavors  by  learning  what  they  accom- 
plished under  less  favorable  circumstances. 

/.  L.  Kephart. 


io8 


April  i. 
Rev.  Thomas  J.  Bauder. 


April  2. 
President  D.  A.  Mobley,  A.  M.,  1853. 


109 


BROKEN    RESOI.UTIONS. 

/  He  who  fritters  away  his  time  in  making  vows  and   forming  high  re- 

solves,  but  failing  to  execnte  them,  is  breaking  down  the   strong  towers 

of  moral  strength  with  which  God  has  surrounded  him,  and  will  be  like 

a  city  whose  walls  have  been  scaled  by  the  drifting  sands  from  the  desert 

or  leveled  by  the   storm -king,  — without  a  defense;   for  his  destrudlion  is 

as  certain  as   it  will   in   the  end   be    complete.     Step  by  step  he  is  drawn 

into  the  vortex.     All  that  is  left  to  him  is  the  power  of  resolving  again. 

Faith   now  in   himself  and  in  his  resolutions  wavers,  gives  way,  and  the 

wreck  is  complete.     In  every  profession   and  calling  of  life  this  work  of 

ruin,  in  a  degree,  is  being  wrought. 

E.  B.  Kephart. 


BUT   ONE   PERFECT   HOUSE. 

No  man  has  ever  yet  built  a  perfedl  house.     Whoever  builds  sees,  when 

he   has  done,  where  he  might  have   improved  his  work.     The   last  temple 

was  forty -six  years  in  building,  not  because  the  edifice  was  so  great  that 

such  outlay  of  time  was  required  for  its  construAion,  but  because  changes 

and  additions  were  made  from  time  to  time.     So  cathedrals  and  churches, 

palaces   or   humbler    homes,  alike    undergo   changes    because   the   builders 

were  never  able  to  construA  a  faultless  house.     There  is  but  one  perfe(ft 

house,  the  "house   not    made  with    hands."     The   house   itself   is  "many 

mansions."      It  is  ample   in   its    provisions   for  all  disciples  of   the   Lord 

Jesus.      Its   foundations  are   precious   stones,  its  twelve  gates  are  each   a 

massive  pearl,  and  its  streets  arfe  transparent  gold.     The  house  needs  no 

change,  for  it  was  made  in  infinite  wisdom. 

D.  Bei'ger. 


April  3. 


April  4. 


THE  INFI.UKNCE   OF   ONE   ACT. 

We  talk  of  little  sins.  But  there  are  no  such  sins.  We  never  know  the 
result  of  a  single  adl.  What  seems  to  us  a  little  thing  may  be  fraught 
with  the  direst  results.  The  deed  of  a  single  hour  may  determine  a  man's 
destiny  for  all  time,  and  that  will  settle  it  for  eternity.  Judas  by  a  single 
adt  set  in  motion  a  train  of  forces  which  have  never  ceased  to  work.  A 
single  grand  aS.  has  mafle  a  man  immortal.  By  one  deed  the  betrayer  of 
our  Lord  has  rendered  his  memory  infamous,  and  consigned  himself  to 
everlasting  wretchedness.     L,et  the  deeds  of  our  lives  be  well  considered. 

H.  A.  Thompson. 


A   CHRISTIAN. 

It  is  a  wonderful  and  at  the  same  time  a  glorious  thing  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian; to  be  in  the  flesh  and  yet  not  of  the  flesh;  to  be  in  the  world  and 
yet  not  of  the  world;  to  be  human  and  yet  partake  of  the  divine;  to  be 
on  earth  and  in  heaven;  to  live  among  men  and  commune  with  God;  to 
walk  on  earth  and  walk  with  God;  to  live  on  earth  and  live  in  Christ;  to 
talk  with  men  and  talk  with  God;  to  die  and  yet  live.  Oh,  blessed,  glo- 
rious state!  And  all  this  comes  by  the  gracious  influence  of  the  spirit  of 
Christ.  It  is  no  great  matter  for  a  man  who  has  the  spirit  of  Christ  to 
exchange  worlds.     He  has  in  him  all  the  principles  of  a  saint  in  heaven. 

J.  Weaver. 


April  5. 
Rev.  Matthias  Ambrose,  1810. 


April  6. 


113 


HOME  TRAINING   OF  DAUGHTERS. 

Our  schools  look  well  to  the  intelle6lual  training  and  furnishing  of 
young  ladies,  so  that  they  shall  lack  nothing  in  their  educational  equip- 
ment for  life.  But  the  question  of  home  training,  moral  and  industrial, 
mental  and  physical,  in  the  foundation  of  good  habits,  in  refinement,  in 
economy,  and  in  a  practical  acquaintance  with  all  household  duties,  is  de- 
serving of  even  greater  attention  than  that  of  mere  school  instrudlion  and 
discipline.  Indeed,  education  in  the  schools  finds  its  best  groundwork 
where  the  mother's  training  has  been  most  thoroughly  and  wisely  done. 
Education  can  be  of  but  little  pra<5lical  value  without  a  knowledge  of 
every -day  home  affairs  and  duties.  Our  girls  should  be  taught  to  cook 
and  to  do  all  manner  of  house -work  with  "neatness  and  dispatch."  They 
should  be  taught  to  sew  neatly  and  to  mend  their  own  clothes,  to  beautify 
and  keep  tidy  their  rooms,  and,  in  a  word,  "to  do  all  those  little  things 
which  make  the  mother,  the  wife,  the  daughter  a  power  in  the  nation." 
They  should  be  taught  that  there  is  something  more  than  the  mere  tinsel 
of  life  to  love  and  labor  for.  They  should  be  taught  that  dress  and  airs 
are  as  nothing  in  the  balance  with  a  true,  earnest,  womanly  life. 

M.  R.  Drury. 

CHRISTIAN  I,OVE. 

Christian  love  is  aggressively  kind.  It  does  not  wait  to  be  adled  upon, 
but  adls  from  itself  as  a  central  sim.  It  not  only  sits  in  the  house  with 
benignity,  but  goes  out  into  the  streets  and  by-ways  to  bless.  It  is  gentle^ 
compassionate,  and  courteous,  without  respe(5l  of  person.  Upon  the  beg- 
gar and  president  it  bestows  their  due.  On  the  abandoned  and  virtuous  it 
sheds  like  the  sun  its  influence.  To  the  slightest  as  well  as  to  the  favorite 
it  gives  sympathy.  It  may  be  called  good  manners  to  be  courteous  only 
to  equals  and  superiors;  but  it  is  true  Christianity  to  be  courteous  and 
kind  to  all  persons  and  things.  Rowland  Hill  said,  "I  would  give  noth- 
ing for  that  man's  religion  whose  very  dog  and  cat  are  not  the  better  for 
it."  It  makes  men  kind  at  home  and  abroad,  to  beast,  to  servant,  and  to 
man.  A  heart  filled  with  such  an  element  can  not  be  shut  up  in  a  house 
any  more  than  a  mountain  can  be  contained  in  this  room.  No  one  church 
or  country  can  hold  that  heart;  but  it  will  go  out  to  the  isles  of  the  deep 
and  to  the  lands  of  the  heathen;  and  into  the  uttermost  and  lowest  parts 
of  the  earth  where  man  is  found  will  it  descend  and  live  in  adlive  love. 
It  is  love  in  kind  service  that  is  leavening  the  world  in  righteousness, 
and  will  leaven  until  "the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

W.  M.  Beardshear. 

114 


April  7. 

Rev.  Halleck  Floyd,  1839. 

April  8. 

Bishop 

Wm. 

Hanby,  1808.         Prof.  George  Keister, 

A. 

M. 

1847. 

"5 

• 

TO   THEOLOGICAL   STUDENTS. 

The  secret  depths  of  personal  piety,  the  mystic  potency  of  a  personal 
call,  the  desire  to  do  something  for  God  and  goodness  must  still  supplj^ 
motive  power,  rugged  strength,  and  the  genius  of  unearthly  vidtories. 
Culture  is  dearly  bought  if  obtained  at  the  expense  of  courage  and  native 
impulse;  and  how  much  more  so  if  living  faith  in  God  and  unfeigned  love 
for  man  are  also  sacrificed!  While,  then,  we  are  expected  to  study  men 
and  the  world,  let  us  not  negledl  our  individual  character  toward  God.  If 
we  should  feel  an  inclination  to  turn  aside  to  the  small  gratifications  of 
time,  or  turn  away  to  the  meager  things  of  the  world,  let  us  ask  ourselves 
if  it  was  for  these  things  that  we  fought  the  holiest  struggles  of  our  life; 
and  if  we  feel  that  any  subtle  blight  is  settling  down  upon  the  state  of 
heart  that  led  us  into  the  ministry,  let  us  fly  from  it  as  from  the  presence 
of  death.  We  should  see  to  it  that  this  deep  individual  sentiment  between 
our  souls  and  God,  watered  by  grace,  forced  to  strike  deeper  its  roots  by 
storms  and  trials,  and  blessed  already,  it  may  be,  with  some  early  fruit  unto 
God,  may  be  maintained  the  central  and  presiding  force  over  all  the  ele- 
ments that  Providence  has  ordained  for  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ.  A.  W.  Drury. 

PRACTICAIv    CHRISTIANITY. 

Christianity  is  to  be  known  not  only  by  what  it  is  in  the  Book,  but  by 
what  it  is  in  the  life  of  its  friends,  —  not  its  pretenders,  but  its  real  friends. 
The  great  mass  of  men  judge  the  Christian  religion  in  this  way.  We  do 
not  know  that  the  Savior  intended  it  so;  but  he  knew  it  would  be  so. 
Hence  he  enjoins,  "Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  We  do 
not  know  that  Paul  meant  it  so;  but  he,  too,  knew  it  would  be  so.  Hence 
he  says,  "Ye  are  our  epistles,  known  and  read  of  all  men."  This  seeing 
good  works  and  reading  good  lives  has  a  wonderfully  convincing  power. 
Unfortunately  so  many  pick  out  the  worst,  not  the  best,  type  of  Christian 
life,  when  they  are  looking  for  fruits.  Could  we  have  every  Christian  just 
what  he  should  be,  just  what  religion  requires  and  helps  him  to  be,  we 
would  not  objecfl  to  this  method  of  judging.  Or  if  we  were  allowed  to 
seledl  out  the  best  specimens  of  Christians  in  the  country,  we  would  not 
objedl.  But,  we  repeat,  men  are  not  used  to  doing  this.  Now  if  men  are 
thus  seeing  us  and  reading  u.s,  how  important  that  we  shine  with  a  clear 
light!    How  important  that  we  present  a  clean  epistle  for  their  inspection ! 

J.  Dickson. 

ii6 


April  9. 


April  10. 


117 


THE  HARVEvST. 

Gather  the  grain  with  thankfulness.  Richest  blessings  demand  a  return 
of  praise,  pure  and  holy.  We  can  bring  nothing  so  acceptable  to  God  as 
a  thankful  heart.  There  is  nothing  more  hateful  to  Heaven  than  an  ungrate- 
ful spirit.  We  can  not  make  a  return  to  the  Lord  full  and  equal,  but  a 
thankful  heart  will  renew  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  harvest,  and  gladden 
the  reaping  with  songs.  The  harvest  is  the  Master's  richest  bestowment; 
it  is  the  life -gift  to  the  whole  race.  It  is  food  and  clothing;  the  bread 
with  which  the  hand  of  God  feeds  the  hungry.  From  every  harvest  -  field, 
from  every  garner  and  barn  let  a  song  of  thanks  go  up  to  God  for  every 
returning  harvest. 


/.  ir.  Hoit. 


HUMIUTY   IN  THE   STUDENT. 

This   is  a  rare  grace,  and  should  be  diligently  sought.      It  is  both  an 

ornament  and  a  strength  wherever  found.     No  vice  is  more  offensive  to 

God  or  distasteful  to  man  than  inordinate  self-esteem.     Our  best  and  most 

reliable  students  are  always  humble  and  teachable.      All  teachers   know 

this,   and  often  speak  of  it.      An  overestimate    of   either  our  natural  or 

acquired  abilities  is  not  only  offensive  to  good  taste,   but  a  great  hinder- 

ance  in  the  acquisition    of  knowledge.      Hence  all  thoroughly  educated 

people,  and  especially  sincere  Christians,  feel  the  importance  of  guarding 

against  this  weakness.    True,  to  confess  our  want  of  information  respecting 

some  particular  subje(5l  may  not  be  the  most  flattering  to  our  pride;  it 

may  indeed  tend  to  mortify  and  humble  us.      But  in  this  we  will  be  the 

gainers;  for,  in  fa(?l,  this  humiliation  is  the  very  thing  needed  to  prepare 

the  mind  to  receive  instrudlion.     We  are  sure  at  any  rate  that  this  is  God's 

method  in  making  us  wise  unto  salvation. 

L:  Davis. 


ii8 


April  ii. 


April  12. 
Rev.  I<ydia  Sexton,  1799.         Rev.  I<eonidas  S.  Cornell,  1842. 


119 


THE   INSPIRATION   OF  THE  UNSEEN. 

The  world   to-day  is   taking    its   inspiration   largely  from   the   thoughts 

of.  a  better  clime.     It  is  the   power  of  an  endless  life  which  always  has 

and  always  will  make  itself  felt  upon  the  individual  consciousness  of  the 

human   race.     There  will  be   a  future  life.      Kant  held  that  the   pra(5lical 

reason    demands  a  future  world   and   a  judgment -day.      The    soul    of  man 

demands  also  a  life  of  immortality  in  that  world.     Sin  continues  to-day, 

but  there  will   be   a  time  when  it  shall  be  overcome.    There  will  be   an 

even -tide   when    all    shall  be   light.      Atheistic    science    may  predict    one 

golden    age     after    another,    pidluring    them    with    all    the    grandeur    and 

beauty  vivid  imaginations  can  produce,  but  Christianity  will   continue   as 

it  has  in  the   past  to  guide   men   into .  the  way  of  everlasting  life,  which 

leadeth  up  to  God. 

/.  W.  Sneath. 


FACTORS   IN   CHRISTIAN   MISSIONS. 

The  prayer  of  faith  at  some  time  and  in  some  way  must  be  answered, 

and  will  be.     This  is  a  part  of  the  legacy  left  to  us  by  our  sainted  dead. 

Some  have  left  us  money  consecrated  to  missions;   and  I  am  not  sure  but 

that   the    most   precious   legacy  is   the   prayer   of  faith   they  left  with    God 

for   the    success   of  that  work.     These   prayers   are   in   the   keeping   of  the 

Holy  Ghost.     They  prayed   for  the    conversion  of  the  world,  and  believed 

it  would   come.      The    ten    days'    prayer -meeting  at   Jerusalem    may   have 

resulted  in  the    separation  of  Saul  and    Barnabas  to  the  great  work  upon 

which  they  entered.     Many  good    people    have  little  money  to  give,  but 

they  are  and  have  been  rich  in  faith  and  prayer.     These  they  have  given 

out  of  their  full  hearts.     Men,  money,  and  the  prayer  of  faith  are  divinely 

recognized  fadtors. 

Z.  Warner. 


April  13. 


April  14. 


THE  SPRING-TIME. 

The  birds  are  coming  again  with  their  spring-time  songs.  It  is  said 
that  St.  Francis  called  them  his  brothers,  thinking  that  in  some  way  they 
were  spiritual  beings  in  flesh,  and  praised  God  in  the  forests  even  as  the 
angels  praise  him  in  heaven.  Surely  their  songs  ought  to  remind  us  of 
the  love  and  praise  due  our  lyord  from  our  hearts  and  songs.  With  the 
opening  spring  and  its  joys  let  every  heart  put  on  a  new  joy  and  every 
tongue  learn  a  new  song  of  praise.  To  many  of  us  this  is  the  last  spring- 
time till  we  come  to  the  opening  of  the  eternal  summer. 

/.   U^.  Hott. 


THE   PROMISES. 

The  promises  are  outlets  of  the  fountains  of  grace,  and  are  the  streams 

that  "make  glad  the  city  of  God."     They  are  anthems  from  the  harp  of 

heaven.     They  are  "the  music  of  the  river  of  life  washing  its  shores  on 

high  and  pouring  in  cascades  upon  the  earth."     They  are  precious  morsels 

from  the  banquet- table  of  heaven,  and  strewed  along  the  pathway  of  life 

at  every  step  to  lure  us  to  our  Father's  house.     They  are  heaven -lamps, 

hung  out  by  the  hand  of  a  loving  Father,  to  illumine  our  way  across  life's 

dark  and  stormy  sea,  to  inspire  us  with  courage,  faith,  and  hope,  incentives 

to  persuade  us  to  virtue,    and  celestial  lights  to  dispel   the   darkness  of 

doubt,  fear,  trouble,  sorrow,  afflidlions,  trials,  losses,  bereavements,   and  to 

rob  death  and  the  grave  of  all  their  terrible  gloom.     And,  blessed  be  God, 

they  are  everlasting. 

R.  Rock. 


April  15. 


April  16. 


123 


SHUN  the;  eddying  current. 

There  is  room  enough  in  the  moral  universe  for  motion  on  a  mighty- 
scale.  Already  there  is  a  great  distance  between  an  infinitely  pure  God 
rising  upward  infinitely,  and  the  devil  who  has  been  sinking,  yes,  flying 
downward  for  a  long  time.  Do  you  hope  we  can  step  over  the  line  ?  You 
would  better  not  say  so  to  your  boy  in  the  hour  of  temptation.  It  might 
suggest  the  wicked  thought  to  try  it.  It  might  prove  a  source  of  weak- 
ness. I  once  stood  by  a  small  water -fall.  The  water  fell  ten  feet.  It  did 
not  make  me  tremble  as  I  looked  down.  I<ast  summer  I  stood  as  near 
as  I  dared  and  looked  over  the  falls  at  Niagara.  As  I  looked  at  the  boil- 
ing mass  beneath  and  listened  to  the  roar,  it  made  me  shudder.  It  makes 
me  breathe  quicker  now  as  I  think,  What  if  I  had  lost  my  balance?  To- 
night I  have  brought  you  in  thought  to  the  Niagara  of  sin.  It  is  not  a 
fall  of  ten  feet  with  a  bath-tub  at  its  base.  A  dark,  angry  flood  is  beneath, 
ready  to  swallow  us  up.  Dare  any  one  try  his  strength  in  that  eddying 
current?  Don't  do  it.  When  the  bridge  of  human  life  gives  way  may  we 
all  be  safe,  far,  very  far  removed  from  that  yawning  chasm. 

R.  J.  White. 

CONDITION   OF  SUCCESS. 

Had  we  millions  of  the  most  learned,  eloquent,  and  holy  preachers  in 
Christendom  to  send  forth,  and  all  the  funds  that  could  be  asked  or  de- 
sired to  support  them,  all  would  be  in  vain  unless  the  power  of  the  al- 
mighty Spirit  accompany  our  labors.  While,  therefore,  we  labor  with  un- 
wavering perseverance  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  while  we  raise  funds 
with  growing  liberality,  while  we  selec5t,  instru(5l,  and  send  forth  the  most 
devoted  missionaries  we  can  find,  let  us  remember  that  all  will  be  un- 
availing unless  the  Holy  Spirit  accompany  and  give  energy  to  the  means 
eniplo5'ed.  He  that  planteth  is  nothing,  he  that  watereth  is  nothing,  but 
God  that  giveth  the  increase.  Oh,  it  is  sweet  to  the  believing  heart  to 
lean  on  God,  to  plead  his  promises,  and  to  rejoice  in  the  assurance  that 
though  man  can  not  do  it  by  reason  of  his  weakness,  he  with  whom  all 
things  are  possible,  and  who  can  not  lie,  has  promised  that  the  whole 
earth  shall  be  filled  with  his  glory,  and  that  he  is  able  and  faithful  to 
bring  it  to  pass.  In  earnest  prayer  for  the  Holy  Spirit's  influence  every 
one  can  unite,  and  every  tear  in  the  closet,  every  prayer  in  the  heart  over 
those  who  are  dead  in  their  sin,  every  prayer  lifted  up  in  retirement 
where  no  eye  sees  but  the  eye  of  Him  which  seeth  in  secret,  afford  a  most 
important  means  of  entering  in  at  the  open  door  of  opportunity. 

J.  J.  Glossbrenner. 
124 


April  17. 


April  18. 


125 


POUTE   CHILDREN. 

A  simple  "Thank  you"  to  your  parents,  to  your  brothers  and  sisters,  to 
any  from  whom  you  receive  any  form  of  attention  or  favor,  for  the  slightest 
adts  performed,  for  a  question  answered,  for  a  hundred  nameless  things, 
will  tell  greatly  upon  yourself,  in  making  you  more  gentle  and  refined, 
and  encouraging  a  proper  self  -  respe(5l,  and  in  the  estimate  of  others  for 
you.  If  once  you  acquire  the  habit  of  saying  the  words,  they  will  come 
easy,  and  you  would  feel  embarrassed  at  the  thought  of  having  omitted  to 
express  your  obligation  for  a  favor.  To  cultivate  the  habit  of  being  polite 
you  should  address  your  mother  and  sisters  and  all  in  the  home  circle  as 
you  would  address  strangers  toward  whom  you  desire  to  be  particularly 
well-behaved.  When  the  habit  of  constant  .politeness  is  well  established 
at  home  you  will  be  easy  in  society,  and  escape  a  hundred  awkward  em- 
barrassments to  which  young  people  are  subject  because  of  their  defective 
training  in  the  home. 

D.  Berger. 


WINNING  SOUIvS. 

To  win  souls  to  Christ  implies  vastly  more  than  winning  them  to  our 
opinions,  however  corre(5l  they  may  be.  It  implies  more  than  winning 
them  into  our  church.  It  implies  and  includes  the  winning  of  the  heart, 
with  all  its  affe(5tions,  to  Christ.  Otterbein  and  his  coadjutors  insisted 
that  a  vital  union  to  Christ  was  essential  to  a  true  Christian  character. 
Take  this  vital  force  out  of  the  church  and  you  will  have  nothing  left  but 
lifeless  forms  and  ceremonies.  The  church  of  the  living  God  is  a  living 
church,  with  a  living  ministry;  and  the  life  of  this  living  church  comes 
from  the  quickening  energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  heart  of  each 
individual  member  of  the  church.  Am  I  right  when  I  say  that  winning 
souls  to  Jesus  is  the  great  work  of  the  Christian  ministry?  To  save  souls 
Jesus  came  all  the  way  from  heaven  to  earth,  suffered  in  Gethsemane,  died 
on  the  cross,  was  buried,  rose  again,  ascended  to  heaven,  and  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession.  To  save  souls  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given,  the  Bible 
was  given,  the  Church  was  organized;  and  men  are  called  to  devote  them- 
selves exclusively  to  this  work.  Do  not  these  fadls  teach  us  something 
of  the  importance  of  soul  -  saving  ?  Show  me  a  minister  who  is  not  yearn- 
ing after  the  souls  of  the  people  and  I  will  show  you  a  man  who  was 
either  never  called  to  the  ministry  or  has  lost  the  spirit  of  a  true  minister 
of  Jesus.  J.  Weaver. 

126 


April  19. 


April  20. 
Rev.  D.  W.  Sprinkle,  1843. 


127 


FALSB   STANDARDS. 

Many  souls  are  ruined  by  false  standards.  Whenever  conscience  is 
denied,  just  in  that  proportion  is  the  moral  nature  vitiated  and  driven  to 
shame.  The  succeeding  violations  will  be  easier,  and  less  and  less  with- 
stood. All  the  avenues  to  the  heart  should  be  kept  clear  of  defilement. 
Forty  cents  on  the  dollar  may  satisfy  man's  law,  but  common  honesty 
demands  one  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar.  It  may  do  no  good  to  condemn 
those  who  have  been  unfortunate  in  speculation,  and  have  lost  other  people's 
money;  but  if  the  course  were  condemned,  as  it  should  be,  a  standard  would 
be  eredled  in  society  from  which  men  would  fear  to  go.  When  the  day  of 
white   lying   and   whitewashing   of  charac?ter   shall   have   ceased,   then  will 

come  the  dawning  of  the  millennium  upon  the  world. 

T.  D.  Adams. 


MINISTRY   OF  SORROW. 

Many  of  the  most  honored  examples  of  purit}^  and  of  benevolent  and 
efficient  labor  have  been  schooled,  chastened,  and  taught  to  virtue  through 
privation  and  disappointment.  Not  only  this,  but  they  have  lived  their 
lives  through  shadows,  and  have  performed  their  labors  from  hearts  whose 
sadness  was  unuttered  and  unutterable.  It  is  largely  by  experiencing  toil 
and  suffering,  by  our  internal  struggles  and  trials,  by  the  woe  and  darkness 
in  our  souls,  by  our  conscious  feebleness  and  utter  want,  that  our  hearts 
become  softened  and  tendered  toward  man  and  lifted  upward  toward  God, 
by  which  we  are  fitted  for  an  existence  and  a  work  in  the  kingdom  of  love. 

A.  W.  Drtiry. 


128 


April  21. 
Rev.  George  Plowman,  1813.        Rev.  John  R.  Brown,  1815. 


April  22. 
Prof.  Daniel  Eberly,  A.  M.,  1834. 


129 


CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

The  relation  of  freedom  from  sin  to  entire  sandlification,  the  relation  of 

a  perfedl  Christian  to  a  Christian  that  is  perfected,  has  much  similarity  to 

the  following  relations :    A  dangerous  disease  may,  through  the  skill  of  the 

physician   and  the  application  of  the  proper  remedies,    have  been  happily 

overcome;    but   this   is   not    yet   complete    restoration    of  lost    health    and 

strength, — though  we  are  not  to  forget  that  the  first  must  take  place  before 

the  latter  can  be  accomplished.     A  student  may  entirely  withdraw  from  all 

other  occupations,  and  devote   himself  never  so   fully  to   his   studies;    he 

may,  in  short,  be  a  perfe<5l  student,  and  yet  be  far  from  being  a  scholar, 

an   educated  man.      Yet,  undoubtedly,  he  must  be   the   former  before   he 

can  become  the  latter. 

J.  Doerksen. 


MISSION  AND    MOTIVE. 

"Into  all  the  world"  and  " every  creature  "  bounds  the  mission  of  the 
Christian  church.  All  lands,  all  continents,  to  be  visited;  all  classes,  all 
races,  to  be  discipled.  The  injundlion  is,  "Go."  For  this  there  must  be 
a  fitness  — a  spirit  corresponding  to  the  injunAion.  The  bare  injunftion 
itself  would  never  have  made  the  first  ministers  of  the  New  Testament 
dispensation  go,  much  less  those  of  a  later  time.  But  there  came  into  the 
souls  of  these  embassadors  an  agonizing  yearning  to  do  what  had  been 
commanded.  Redemption's  cry  had  reached  this  world,  and  they  wanted 
to  voice  it.  The  spirit  of  a  brother  yearning  for  a  brother's  salvation  had 
come  into  the  heart.  Wild  seas  and  rugged  continents  imposed  no  barriers 
to  the  accomplishment  of  this  divine  mission  upon  the  part  of  its  ad- 
herents.    I<ove  impelled  the  going. 

N.   Castle. 


130 


April  23. 
Rev.  Wm.  K.  McDaniel,  1823. 


April  24. 
Rev.  Alexander  Biddle,  1810. 


131 


THE   NEW   BIRTH. 

In  the  spiritual  birth  man  receives  all  the  graces,  powers,  and  per- 
fections of  the  Divine  Father,  as  does  the  child  of  natural  generation  all 
the  functions  of  the  human  father.  Now  he  is  a  child,  perfect  in  all  his 
moral  and  spiritual  make-up;  only  let  him  go  on  to  perfection,  not  in 
receiving  new  graces  or  qualities,  but  in  developing  those  bestowed  in  the 
new  birth.  And  upon  the  principle  that  face  answers  to  face,  in  the  water, 
so  grace  answers  to  grace  in  the  soul.  Every  holy  desire  in  the  human 
soul  is  planted  there  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  God  never  promotes  a  desire  for 
which  the  requisite  amount  of  grace  is  not  pledged.     Thus  it  is  that  grace 

answers  to  grace.     All  is  by  the  favor  of  God. 

J.  L.  Luttrell. 


DECIDING  TO   ENTER   COI.I.EGE. 

A  college -life  means  years  of  study  and  an  expenditure  of  money,  with 
no  income.  It  is  a  preparation  for  a  wider  field  and  a  more  prominent 
position  in  the  future.  But  Business  calls  and  opens  up  her  gates,  and 
invites  the  young  man  to  enter.  The  almighty  dollar  is  held  up  to  his 
admiring  gaze,  and  its  virtues  extolled  by  its  votaries.  Better  get  money. 
He  can  make  this,  as  others  have  done,  without  special  culture.  Why 
this  delay  ?  Enter  the  lists  at  once  and  contend  for  the  prize.  Happy  is 
the  young  man  who  remembers  there  are  more  desirable  things  even  in 
this  life  than  the  getting  of  money.  The  chief  aim  of  man  is  not  to  get 
rich.  God's  purpose  in  man's  creation  is  not  met  by  the  handling  of  a  few 
thousand  dollars.  Even  if  this  is  all,  he  sees  that  a  good,  thorough  training 
will  help  him  to  get  it.  But  he  is  alive  to  all  money -value,  and  he  must 
look  after  himself.  A  first-class,  well -developed  human  being  is  of  in- 
finitely more  value  in  God's  sight  than  millions  of  dollars. 

H.  A.    Thompso7i. 


132 


April  25. 


April  26. 
Rev.  C.  Flinchbaugh,  1799,        Rev.  John  Morgan,  1801. 


133 


CONSECRATED  MEN. 

The  men,  who,  recognizing  the  call  of  God,  have  responded  to  it,  have 
become  the  brightest  lights  of  the  world,  the  pillars  of  the  church.  What 
advancement  the  church  of  Christ  has  made  during  the  struggle  of  the 
centuries  she  owes  great  chiefly  to  these  consecrated  characters ;  those  who 
made  her  welfare  their  first,  last,  and  only  thought  and  theme.  It  is  such 
who  are  now  her  most  efficient  workers,  her  trusted  counselors  and  leaders. 
The  hope  of  the  church  of  Christ  to-day  is  not  in  wealth,  not  in  her  pres- 
tige, nor  in  her  millions  of  votaries,  but  chiefly  in  her  consecrated  men. 
The  church  needs  and  must  have  more  of  such  men  —  men  not  only  ready 
to  step,  ere  long,  into  the  places  of  those  who  are  now  upon  her  walls 
and  manning  her  fortresses,  but  also  prepared  to  fill  the  new  posts  de- 
manded by  the  lengthening  of  her  cords. 

L.  Bookwalter. 


SYMPATHY. 

See  the  disconsolate,  sorrow  -  stricken  soul,  his  mind  entirely  absorbed 
ill  contemplating  the  wretchedness  of  his  lot.  While  he  is  brooding  over 
his  misfortunes,  with  his  face  buried  in  his  hands,  and  the  anguish  of  his 
heart  finds  expression  in  sobs  and  sighs,  a  friend  approaches  and  seeks 
the  cause  of  his  distress.  With  tearful  eyes  he  relates  his  sorrows.  Ere 
he  has  half  told  his  story  the  tear  of  sympathy  starts  and  mingles  with 
the  tear  of  sorrow.  Fitting  union!  How  precious  to  the  sorrolving  heart! 
How  soothing  to  the  unfortunate  to  know  that  there  are  those  who  are 
moved  by  their  distress,  and  can  pity  as  well  as  counsel!  One  has  truth- 
fully said  that  the  tear  of  sympathy  robs  sorrow  of  half  its  pangs  and  is 
a  healing  balm  to  the  wounded  heart.  It  diverts  the  mind  from  the  mis- 
fortunes and  ills  of  life,  and  leads  it  to  the  contemplation  of  the  tender 
and  noble  afifedtions  which  dwell  in  the  bosom  of  man. 

,  Henry  Garst. 


134 


April  27. 


April  28. 
Mrs.  Marj^  Ann  Sowers,  1S16. 


135 


FRUITS   OF  HOI.INESS. 

Wherever  holiness  is  permitted  to  enter  it  is  like  a  neat  housekeeper, — 
first  cleansing  the  house  from  all  pollution,  and  then  placing  everything 
in  the  proper  place.  It  places  the  afFeAions  on  Christ  and  heavenly 
things,  regulates  the  passions,  sets  reason  on  the  throne,  places  the  world 
under  foot,  and  brings  the  whole  man  into  complete  subjection  to  the  will 
of  God.  This  is  order.  This  is  true  beauty.  This  is  the  beauty  of  holi- 
ness. 

D.  Edwards. 


THE   MINISTER   AND   EDUCATION. 

He  is  in  good  position  to  look  out  young  people  for  college.  The 
young  are  not  always  awake  to  the  importance  of  education.  Glittering 
gold  too  often  dazzles  their  eyes.  A  number  wish  to  go  to  school  but 
lack  foresight  sufficient  to  attain  the  objedt  desired.  Others  are  discour- 
aged by  friends,  and  need  judicious  assistance.  The  minister  who  is  a 
wise  master-builder  can  render  these  obstacles  surmountable.  Many  of 
the  world's  leading  scholars  went  to  college  through  the  suggestion  of 
others.  One  of  the  best  moments  of  a  one's  life  is  when  a  friend  says  to 
you,  "I  owe  to  you  that  I  went  to  college."  The  parent  often  needs  in- 
stru(5lion  as  to  his  obligation  to  give  a  higher  education  to  his  children. 
Many  parents  do  not  know  fully  the  claims  upon  them  for  a  complete  cult- 
ure of  their  offspring.  Other  parents  do  not  think  it  will  pay.  The 
worth  of  it  must  be  reiterated  to  such.  Still  others  are  unwilling  to  make 
the  sacrifice  of  educating  their  children.  These  can  be  led  to  a  more 
complete  consecration.  As  a  teacher  of  the  family,  the  minister  can  en- 
lighten the  parents.      In   love   he  can  convince  and  constrain  them  to  the 

discharge  of  duty. 

W.  M.  Beardshear. 
136 


April  29. 


April  30. 


137 


THY   Wlhh.  ^ 

Weary  in  body,  sick  at  heart,  I  came 

And  sat  me  down  beside  my  lonely  door; 
And  to  mysalf, —  I  had  none  else  to  tell, — 

With  many  tears,  told  all  my  troubles  o'er. 

The  good  I  strove  to  do  has  turned  to  ill, 

My  fairest  gifts  'neath  careless  feet  are  thrown, 

And  those  to  whom  I  gladly  gave  my  all, 
Pass  coldly  by — let  me  walk  alone. 

I  longed  so  much  to  be  a  helper  here, — 

To  write  my  life -page  with  no  blot  or  blur, 
And  now — it  is  so  hard,  so  hard,  I  cried, — 
•         In  all  the  world  I  have  no  comforter. 

And  then  a  presence  in  ray  door- way  stood; 

I  felt  a  touch  upon  my  bowed  head, 
And  heard  a  voice  like  music,  soft  and  low.    . 

O  troubled  one,  it  is  my  will,  it  said. 

Thy  will  !    And  is  it  i/ioii ,  dear  Lord  ?   I  cried; 

And  thou  hast  seen  this  bitter  hurt  of  mine? 
And  thou  dost  care  ?    Ay,  I  have  seen  and  cared; 

My  heart  is  pierced  with  every  wound  of  thine! 

Thy  will,  not  mine,  then,  Lord,  I  softly  said, 

•And  of  a  sudden  life  was  fair  and  sweet; 
Abiding  peace  came  to  :ne  in  that  hour, 

And  in  his  strength  my  strength  was  made  complete. 

Afaud  (MaTji  A.  Share). 


138 


A  MEMORY   PICTURE. 

Among  the  pidtures  on  the  wall 
Of  niemorj's  enchanted  hall, 

Is  one  a  brook  portraying, 
And  in  the  forest  by  its  side, 
Or  wading  in  its  limpid  tide, 

Myself  and  sister  playing. 

A  steep  hill  rises  near  the  brook, 
Up  which  we  clambered  once  to  look 

For  some  prized  sylvan  treasure. 
Wild  berries  growing  on  its  crest 
Repaid  our  eager  childish  quest 

In  those  dear  hours  of  pleasure. 

Through  all  the  mists  of  vanished  years 
Upon  that  picfture  still  appears 

The  glow  of  life's  glad  morning; 
Earth's  purest  light  with  rosy  sheen. 
Each  innocent  and  happy  scene 

In  youth's  fair  vale  adorning. 

The  babbling  brook  flows  as  of  yore; 
But  on  its  verdant  banks  no  more 

I'll  stray  as  in  da3-s  olden; 
And  nevermore  that  hill -side  climb 
As  in  the  one  sweet  summer-time 

Which  wears  a  halo  golden. 

Since  then  the  bonds  of  helplessness 
Have  held  in  silent,  sad  duress 

The  feet  that  blithely  -wending 
Their  way  in  paths  ne'er  trod  again, 
Unconscious  of  long  years  of  pain 

And  weariness  impending. 

But  in  the  land  more  fair  than  day 
From  bondage  free  I  hope  to  stray 

By  life's  pellucid  river; 
The  sunny  hills  of  heaven  climb, 
And  through  God's  balmy  summer-time 

Range  joyfully  forever.  Jennie  Wilson. 


139 


ON   GIVING. 

To  give  is  one's  duty  so  long  as  he  expects  to  receive.  While  God 
gives  us  life,  limbs,  action,  sense,  and  the  proper  use  of  all  these,  it  is  as 
much  our  duty  to  give  as  it  is  to  walk,  to  talk,  to  work,  to  eat,  to  sleep,  to 
breathe,  to  pray,  to  live.  While  God  continues  to  give  to  us,  we  are  bound 
to  give  to  our  fellows.  For  this  he  gives  that  we  may  give  to  others.  Not 
to  give  while  God  gives  to  us  is  as  wicked  as  it  would  be  to  refuse  to  walk 
one  rod  out  of  our  way  to  relieve  suffering  humanity.  "  God  loves  a  cheer- 
ful giver."     That  is  enough  for  me.      I  want  no  greater  joy  than  to  have 

God  love  me. 

Henry  Kuniler,  Jr. 


GIVING   OPINIONS. 

Of  those  who  give  opinions  to  the  world  it  ought  first  to  be  said  that 

they  should  be  honest,   noble  in  nature,   earnest  for  truth,  and  of  patient, 

verifying  habit.     The   heart  has  much  to   do  in   making  the  opinions.     In 

given  palpable  cases,  of  course,  men  could  not  believe  otherwise  than  they 

do.      But   by  magnifying  or  diminishing  the    credibility  or   importance  of 

data,  by  using  doubtful  premises  in  their  full   force   and   afterward   losing 

sight  of  the  element  of  doubtfulness,,  by  bringing  up  something  apparent 

to  offset  a  serious  argument,  in  many  cases  by  unblushing  perverseness  or 

willfulness  —  by  one   or  several  of  these  means  or  methods  the  mind  has 

almost  complete  control  over  its  beliefs. 

A.  IV.  Drury. 


140 


May  I. 
Rev.  Thomas  M.  Hamilton,  1822. 


May  2. 


141 


AN  ETERNAL  WEIGHT  OF  GLORY, 

We  walk  now  at  times  in  the  brightness  of  unclouded  faith,  for  God 
throws  sometimes  the  brightness  of  glory  into  our  cloudy  experience;  but 
when  the  eternal  weight  of  glory  bursts  upon  us  amid  the  unsetting  stars 
and  suns  of  the  upper  sandluary,  then  the  soul's  deepest  and  finest  feelings 
will  break  through  every  restraint.  And  as  we  range  over  heavenly 
ground  or  are  seated  with  Christ  upon  his  throne,  this  glory  with  its 
everlasting  fullness  will  stream  into  the  feelings  and  out  of  the  feelings. 
A  resemblance  between  us  and  Christ  is  now  begun,  and  the  full  revela- 
tion of  the  heavenly  weight  of  glory  will  complete  it;  for  we  now  become 
better  and  better,  and  all  the  time  repeat  Christ's  character  more  and 
more  in  ours.  I  plant  my  hope  on  no  narrow  grounds,  but  from  the  fadl 
that  this  glory  is  so  great  that  our  strongest  feelings  cluster  around  it,  for 
that  reason  the  salvation  of  a  single  soul  outweighs  the  material  universe. 

F.  Riebel. 


THE   RESPONSIBILITY    OF  MOTHERS. 

It  seems  to  me  there  is  no  greater  responsibility  on  earth,  in  any  one 
capacit}',  than  that  which  devolves  upon  mothers.  To  them  is  committed 
the  welfare  of  the  whole  human  family.  The  future  of  the  life  that  now 
is  and  that  which  is  to  come  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  earth,  in  all  ages, 
rests  in  a  greater  degree,  and  to  a  fuller  extent,  upon  mothers  than  upon 
any  other  and  all  other  agencies  combined.  How  few  young  mothers  have 
any  just  conception  of  the  responsibilities  that  the  sleeping  babe  has 
brought.  The  mother  looks  down  into  baby's  .innocent  face  and  her  heart 
yearns  with  a  strangely  sweet  tenderness  and  a  hitherto  unknown  love; 
and  she  presses  her  jewel  to  her  heart  with  the  low  cry,  "All  my  own! 
my  precious  darling!"  This,  perhaps,  is  her  highest  thought  and  the 
source  of  her  greatest  joy.  Personal  ownership  of  the  dearest  and  best 
gift  of  God!  She  may  lead  and  guide  that  precious  life  to  the  light  and 
into  the  way  of  life  and  up  to  the  heights  of  glory.  No  other  hand  can 
do  this  so  surely  as  can  a  mother's;  on  no  other  rests  the  responsibility 
as  upon  her. 

Mrs.  Emily  Day. 

142 


THE   PREACHING   FOR  THE  TIMES. 

The  times  require  candor,  plainness,  and  earnestness  in  the  pulpit,  and 
the  laying  aside  of  all  unnatural  airs  and  intonations.  Nothing  is  more 
disgusting  to  sensible  men  than  to  listen  to  a  man  who  shows  in  his 
pulpit  efforts  that  he  is  more  anxious  to  display  himself  than  to  display 
Christ  and  his  truth.  The  minister  is  not  most  truly  eloquent  and  im- 
pressive when  he  is  so  deeply  interested  in  his  subje<5l  as  to  be  utterly 
oblivious  of  himself,  and  of  the  opinion  that  his  audience  will  form  of  his 
effort.  He  who,  fully  impressed  and  imbued  with  a  sense  of  the  impor- 
tance of  the  truth  he  is  about  to  present  and  an  intense  desire  to  win  the 
hearts  of  his  auditors  to  that  truth,  goes  before  the  people  leaning  by 
faith  on  the  arm  of  the  Master,  will  not  fail  to  be  eloquent.  This  is  what 
gave  the  inspiration  to  Christ's  discourses;  this  is  what  made  Paul  so 
truly  eloquent  before  Agrippa  and  in  the  midst  of  Mars'  Hill;  this  was 
the  secret  of  Wesley's  popularity;  this  gave  Whitefield  his  power  over  the 
masses. 

/.  L.  Kephart 

SUCCESS. 

How  shall  I  make  life  a  success  ?  is  a  question  thousands  of  young  men 
are  now  asking  themselves.  When  a  young  man  has  fixed  the  right 
standard  of  success  the  next  thing  is  to  know  how  to  reach  it, —  what 
kind  of  helps  he  most  needs  and  where  to  find  them.  If  money  -  making 
were  to  be  his  standard  then  he  ought  to  go  to  the  Rothschilds,  the 
Girards,  the  Stewarts,  the  Vanderbilts.  They  could  give  him  many  sound 
lessons  in  the  art  of  money -making.  If  he  is  seeking  renown,  let  him 
consult  those  meteors  that  have  blazed  athwart  the  sky  of  nations.  If  he 
seeks  it  irr  mere  mind -development,  let  him  consult  the  oracles  of  litera- 
ture, past  and  present.  But  if  he  will  have  the  noblest  success,  one  that 
has  the  divine  approval,  and  reaches  out  into  the  eternal  ages,  let  him 
consult   the  inspired  word  and  the  best  types  of  intelligent  piety  he  can 

find. 

J .  Dickson. 


144 


May  5. 
Bishop  David  Edwards,  D.  D.,  1S16. 


May  6. 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  Graham,  1839. 


145 


THE   PRECIOUS   PROMISES. 

The  promises  of  God  are  the  Christian's  Magna  Charta;  they  are  Heaven's 
own  bonds,  issued  by  the  authority  of  him  whose  name  is  Jehovah.  Heaven 
and  earth  may  pass  away,  but  every  promise,  to  the  last  word,  will  be  ful- 
filled. God  is  immutable  and  can  not  lie;  he  is  abundantly  able  to  do  all 
he  has  promised.  The  whole  Trinity  is  pledged  to  fulfill  every  word  that 
has  been  spoken.-  No  music  is  half  so  sweet,  no  eloquence  is  near  so 
charming,  no  pidture  is  at  all  so  attr^dlive,  as  the  precious  promises  given 

to  us  by  the  faithful  and  true  witness. 

J.  Weaver. 


TRUE  CHARITY. 

Charity  is  the  "bond  of  perfeAness."     It  gushes  in  the  fountain,  runs 

in   the   rill,  floats  in  the   stream,  and  rests  in  the  deep.     It  grows  in  the 

grass,  blooms  in  the  rose,  waves  in  the  grain,  and  ripens  in  the  abundance 

of  harvest.     It  moves  in  the  breeze,  rides  in  the  lightning,   and  thunders 

in  the  storm.     It  rises  in  the  vapor,  appears  in  the  cloud,  and  falls  in  the 

shower.     It  cools  in  the  shade,  warms  in  the  sun,  and  twinkles  in  the  stars. 

It  is  high  as  the  everlasting  throne,  wide  as  the  universe,  and  deep  as 

human  woe.     It  lives  in   the   Christian   heart,   glows   in   his  countenance, 

sparkles  in  his  eyes,  and  flows  in  his  tears.      Oh,  Thou  art  the  fountain  of 

all  charity. 

Wvi.  Davis. 


146 


TO  THE   YOUNG. 

Youth  is  the  best  time  of  life   to  adapt  oneself  to  whatever  business 

we    may  propose    for   our   maturer  years.     The  man  who  wants  to  acquire 

an  education  wisely  begins  young.     If  he  wants  to  learn  a  trade  he  begins 

young.     If   he  wishes  to  enter  a  profession,  or  acquire  a  fortune,  wisdom 

says  begin  young.     Why  should  this  not  hold  good  in  religion?      It  does 

hold  good;  and  he  who  aims  at  extensive  usefulness  in  the  cause  of  Christ 

must  begin  young.     How  noble  and  praiseworthy  to  see  the  young  abandon 

the  pleasures  and  fascinations  of  a  giddy  world  and  give  their  best  days 

and  their  best  powers  to  the  cause  of  virtue  and  truth. 

D.  Berger. 


FRUIT   OF  THE   GOSPEIv. 

The  humane  institutions  of  the  world  are  the  products  of  the  gospel  of 

Christ.     Go  to  those  countries  where  the  life  and  the  gospel  of  Christ  have 

not  touched,  and  you  find  none  of  these  humane  institutions,   systems  of 

law,    and  asylums    which  anywhere    in  Christian   countries   ameliorate   the 

sorrowful  condition  of  the  unfortunate  of  the  race.     These  benevolent  and 

humane  institutions  are  the  pride  and  joy  of  our  land  and  the  honor  of  the 

world.      Christ's  heart  of  love  as  it  throbbed  and   loved   and  labored   and 

suffered  for  men  has  touched  the  hearts  of  men  in  all  Christian  lands,  and 

these  institutions  have  risen  in  the  garden   of  God,   bearing  their  manner 

of  fruits,  while  their  leaves  are  for  the  healing  of  the  unfortunate  of  the 

nations. 

/.  W.  HoH. 


May  9. 


May  10. 
Rev.  Henry  A.  Snepp,  1830. 


149 


LABOR. 

The  Master  ofifers  you  a  million  times  more  than  just  wages, — wages 
and  a  gift  which  cost  the  heart's  blood  of  the  Son  of  God.  Labor  hon- 
estlyj  the  Master's  eye  is  upon  thee.  Labor  incessantly;  the  enemy  is 
very  busy.  Labor  vigorously;  the  enemy  is  strong,  the  human  heart  is 
stubborn,  the  trees  of  corrupt  habits  have  thrust  their  roots  deep,  very 
deep,  into  the  very  fruitful  soil.  Labor  patiently;  so  does  your  heavenly 
Father;  so  did  Jesus  of  Nazareth;  so  you  will  inspire  confidence  in  your 
sincerity,  honesty,  earnestness,  consecration,  and  general  motives.  Labor 
lovingly;  God  is  love.  God  in  the  heart  fills  it  with  love.  Love  sweetens 
all  the  bitterness  which  grows  out  of  labor,  and  the  opposition  of  Satan 
and  the  wicked.  Labor  faithfully!  Doubt  and  failure  are  related  as  parent 
and  child  —  as  cause  and  effedl;  faith  and  vi6lory  are  similarly  related. 
Go  now  and  labor  faithfully  till  death,  and  you  shall  have  a  crown  of  life. 

J.  K.  Alwood. 


LNTHUSIASM. 

It  creates  talent  and  force,  overcomes  difficulties,  and  converts  foes  into 
friends.  Many  ministers  are  weaklings  while  they  ought  to  be  giants. 
Some  seem  to  think  that  Christian  humility  requires  that  they  should  be 
spiritless;  that  they  should  be  negative  creatures.  As  far  as  I  have  been 
able  to  conclude  from  reading  the  biographies  of  men  eminent  for  their 
piety  and  great  services  in  the  Christian  church,  such  men  have  been 
persons  in  whom  self  has  been  the  center  about  which  crouch  powerful 
feelings,  but  who  have  made  their  wills  and  their  entire  nature  subjeft 
to  the  will  of  God.  Such  men  will  always  be  a  force.  But  how  can  the 
ministry  and  the  lait}^  be  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their  strength  and  of 
their  opportunilies  ?  The  answer  is,  principally  by  conta(5l,  by  associa- 
tion. Next  to  the  life-giving  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  dynamic 
touch  of  a  soul  that  is  itself  thrilled  with  life.  It  is  said  that  great  spirits 
are  generally  found  in  clusters.  Some  colleges  never  send  out  any  men 
of  mark.  Others,  in  certain  portions  of  their  history,  send  out  scarcely 
a  single  mediocre.  Some  classes  are  made  up  of  young  men  of  rare  in- 
tensity of  spirit  and  boldness  of  conception.  The  character  of  the  college 
president  or  of  some  member  of  the  faculty,  or  of  one  or  more  among 
the  students,  might  indicate  the  source  of  its  intelledlual  life. 

A.  W.  Drury. 
150 


May  II. 


May  12. 


151 


THK  SUNDAY -SCHOOIv  SUPERINTENDENT. 

Deep  piety  is  an  indispensable  qualification  for  success  in  superintend- 
ing a  Sabbath  -  school ;  and  nothing  else  can  be  substituted  for  this.  No 
talents,  learning,  or  tadl  can  fill  the  place  of  the  love  of  Christ.  It  takes 
religion  to  teach  religion.  To  lead  the  pupils  to  Christ,  —  and  this,  after 
all,  is  the  great  work  of  the  Sabbath -school,  —  we  must  have  the  spirit 
of  Christ  in  our  hearts.  Should  not  special  prayer  be  offered  for  the 
superintendent  and  teachers  of  our  Sabbath -schools,  as  well  as  for  our 
ministers?  A  school  governed  by  an  empty-headed,  light-minded  superin- 
tendent accomplishes  but  little  good.  The  children  come  to  be  amused,  or 
to  "have  a  good  time"  together,  but  they  are  not  religiously  benefited. 
A  really  godly  man,  who  earnestly  labors  for  the  salvation  of  the  children, 
has   a   glorious   field   in  which    to  work    for   the    Master,  and  will    see   the 

fruit  of  his  labors  year  by  year. 

D.  Edwards. 


THE   RESPONSIBILITY   OF   CITIZENSHIP. 

In  a  democratic   government  every  man   is,  to   a  degree,  a  politician. 

The  people  govern  themselves;  that  is,  they  choose  by  their  own  election 

who   shall   make   and  who   shall  execute   their  laws.     Either  immediately 

or  remotely,    every  citizen   has   a   voice    in    saying  who    shall   be   state   or 

national    legislator,  judge,   governor,   or    president.      First,   then,   it    is    the 

duty  of  every  Christian  to  be  so  far  forth  a  politician  as  to  go  regularly 

to  the    poles    and    vote.     He    may  not,  as    a    good   citizen, — and    a    good 

Christian   as  well, — shirk   this   responsibility.     He   owes   to   Caesar  what   is 

due  to  Cjesar.     As  a  citizen  of  this  country,  he  owes  it  to  himself,  to  his 

fellow-countrymen,   to   posterity,   to   truth,  justice,   order,    and   to   God,   to 

take  so  much  interest  in  public  affairs  as  to  contribute  his  vote  —  if  he  be 

allowed  a  ballot,  as  happily  all   are   in  this  country, — to  the   support  of 

such  men  and  measures  as  according  to  his  best  jixdgment  will  do  most 

to  conserve  the    welfare  of   the  state.     It  ill  becomes  a  man,  especially  a 

Christian,  to  profess  too  great  piety,  and  to  be  so  heavenly  -  minded  that 

he  will  not  exercise  the  eledlive  franchise. 

W.  McKee. 

152 


WHAT   RUM   DOES. 

How  much  of  domestic  sorrow  has  been  brought  about  by  the  use  of 
wine.  What  a  dark  piAure  does  the  picture  of  Ahasuerus  present.  The 
noblest  woman  in  the  realm  dethroned  and  divorced.  The  king  himself 
is  conscience-smitten  and  sleepless.  Tens  of  thousands  of  women,  from 
India  even  to  Ethiopia,  tyrannized  over  and  trampled  upon  by  brutal  hus- 
bands. Such  are  some  of  the  sad  obje(5ls  to  be  seen  in  the  foreground, 
while  in  the  background  stands  the  demijohn.  Nineteen  out  of  twenty 
divorces  in  our  country  grow  out  of  rum.  Nineteen  out  of  every  twenty 
family  quarrels  grow  out  of  rum.  Nineteen  out  of  every  twenty  womanly 
hearts  trampled  upon  and  crushed  by  brutal  husbands  have  been  trampled 
upon  and  crushed  because  of  rum.  Rum  is  the  key  that  unlocks  hell  and 
lets  the  burning  liquid  out  to  desolate  this  world  of  ours.      O  rum!  what 

ha.st  thou  done? 

5'.  A.  Mowers. 


HEART -KEEPING. 

The  source  of  all  badness,  or  of  all  goodness,  is  in  the  heart.     Sin  can 

only  be   conceived  there.     It   can   not  come   into  life  without   first  being 

conceived  in  the  heart.     A  truly  good   man's  life  will  seldom   contradi<5l 

his  heart, — never  permanently.     The  rule  is,  that  if  the  life  is  wrong  the 

heart  is  wrong.    Judging  the  heart  bj^  the  life  is  philosophical.     The  life 

is  never  better  in   God's  view  than  the  heart.      The   heart  as  a   fountain 

must  be  kept  pure.    Jesus  said,  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they 

shall  see   God."      "See   God!"     Yes.     It  was    sin   that   struck  the   union 

between  God  and  man  in  the  garden.      Sin  and  holiness  can  never  have 

fellowship.     The  heart   is  a  garden  of  rarest  flowers,   and   must  be  kept 

free  from  the  growing  weeds  of  corruption.      The  fruits  of  the  Spirit  are 

to  grow  here.    They  are   of  very  delicate  life,  and  must  be   kindly  cared 

for. 

N.  Castle. 


154 


May  15. 


May  16. 


155 


MEMORY'S   TREASURES. 

What,  then,  are  memory's  treasures?  You  will  agree  with  me  that  the 
mother's  devoted  and  unselfish  love  should  take  the  first  place,  and  that 
because  of  its  rare  luster  it  is  justly  cherished  by  memory.  Oh,  those 
early  days!  Oh,  that  tender,  loving  heart!  And  then  that  friend  or  those 
friends  who  helped  us  into  spiritual. life.  Memory  recalls  the  scene  vividly. 
And  then  there  are  those  in  the  wider  fields  whose  lives  are  so  beautiful 
and  grand  that  they  seem  to  tower  above  us  like  the  peaks  of  the  Alps 
tower  above  their  neighbors  —  names  that  stand  for  all  that  is  good,  pure, 
and  beautiful  in  this  life;  names  with  the  fragrance  of  summer  flowers; 
names  that  somehow  seem  to  be  only  half  earthly,  that  conne(5l  them- 
selves with  the  unseen  realities  of  heaven,  so  that  we  can  hardly  think  of 
heaven  without  thinking  of  them;  names  that  are  connedled  with  Christ 
both  here  and  there,  so  that  we  can  say  with  new  meaning,  "The  memory 

of  the  just  is  blessed." 

5.  IV.  McCorkle. 


THE   PALM-TREE. 

Along  the  way  grow  the  stately  palm-trees,  towering  up  toward  the 
clouds.  As  these  trees  grow  up  to  maturity  they  cast  off  all  their  surplus 
limbs.  While  small,  the  body  is  covered  with  them;  but  as  the  tree  grows 
up  they  are  dropped  off.  The  top  of  the  tree  is  a  crown  of  leaves.  The 
center  limbs  point  straight  up  toward  heaven,  and  the  fruit  hangs  in  clus- 
ters about  the  crown.  Every  month  in  the  year  fruit  can  be  gathered 
from  this  tree.  I  saw  slender  vines  that  could  not  support  themselves 
cling  to  and  twine  themselves  about  the  trunk  of  the  palm-tree,  and  thus 
they  raised  themselves  above  the  earth.  Though  the  palm-tree  is  so  high, 
and  the  fruit  at  its  vei"y  top,  when  it  is  fully  ripe  it  drops  it  to  the  ground, 
and  the  smallest  child  or  the  crippled  beggar  can  gather  and  eat  or  sell 
it.  What  a  type  of  the  true  Christian  is  the  palm-tree!  As  he  grows  he 
throws  off  his  loose  and  bad  habits.  He  rises  higher  and  higher.  He 
drops  his  blessings  for  others.     The  weak  may  cling  to  him.     But  a  wicked 

man  will  not  benefit  others.     He  is  vile  and  dangerous. 

J.  Gomer. 


156 


May  17. 


May  1-8. 
Rev.  G.  1,.  Gilbert,  1821. 


157 


PROVIDING  FOR  THE)   YOUNG. 

The  church  must  provide  for  its  young  people  the  proper  means  for 
their  best  culture,  or  means  not  of  the  best  chara(5ter,  and  not  tending 
to  the  best  culture,  will  be  provided  for  them.  There  is  no  limit  to  the 
amount  and  variety  of  worthless  and  vile  literature  that  is  not  only  placed 
in  their  reach,  but  by  every  available  method  thrust  upon  them.  Min- 
isters, Sunday-school  superintendents,  and  teachers  can  do  much  to  save 
the  young  from  evil  reading  and  help  them  forward  in  the  way  of  gaining 
solid  intelligence;  and  it  is  a  duty  they  can  not  well  set  aside. 

D.  Berger. 


he;ave;ni,y  attractions. 

Is  there  nothing  in  the  thought  of  heavenly  things;  nothing  in  the 
thought  of  the  bright  and  loving  spirits  you  once  knew  on  earth,  who 
have  gone  to  live  in  the  heavenly  city,  and  who  now  from  its  golden 
portals  are  watching  to  see  you  come;  nothing  in  the  thought  of  a  city 
large  and  magnificent,  whose  maker  and  builder  is  God,  whose  golden 
streets  are  lined  with  fragrant  flowers  that  never  fade,  and  thronged  with 
conquerers  who  never  weep,  toil,  or  suffer,  and  with  "immortal  blood 
throbbing  in  their  veins  know  not  how  to  die;"  nothing  in  the  thought 
of  this  bright  land  where  every  eye  sparkles  with  joy,  every  cheek  blooms 
with  health,  every  heart  quivers  with  the  rapture  of  peace,  and  ' '  every  fin- 
ger-tip touches  harps  of  gold,  whose  silken  strings  never  felt  the  twang 
of  woe  ?  "  O  man  immortal !  O  woman  immortal !  is  there  nothing  in  the 
thrilling  thought  of  these  bright,  grand,  glad,  eternal  things  to  attracft  your 
affedtions,  lifting  them  from  the  perishable  things  of  earth  ? 

/,.   R.  Jones. 


I5« 


May  19. 


May  20. 


159 


FIRST  DUTIES. 

Self-preservation  is  said  to  be  the  first  law  of  nature,  and  self-salva^ 
tion  may  well  be  called  the  first  law  of  grace.  Self-preservation  from 
temporal  want,  danger,  and  injurj-,  and  self- salvation  from  sin,  its  guilt, 
pollution  and  dominion,  are  the  first  duties  or  laws  of  our  being.  And 
there  is  no  conflidl  whatever  between  these  two  —  that  is  to  ssy,  no  nec- 
essary worldly  interest  needs  to  be  neglecfted  to  be  a  Christian,  nor  need 
any  religious  duty  be  omitted  to  be  a  worldling  so  far  as  it  is  necessary 
to  secure  what  is  needful.  By  the  observance  of  these  laws  we  secure 
present  and  future  happiness,  and  the  neglecft  of  them  brings  certain  dis- 
grace and  suffering.  He  that  does  not  provide  for  his  physical  wants  will 
suffer  hunger  and  cold,  and  ought  to;  he  that  does  not  provide  for  his 
intelleAual  wants  will  suffer  as  an  ignoramus,  and  ought  to ;  and  he  that 
does  not  provide  for  his  spiritual  wants  will  suffer  as  a  sinner,   and  ought 

to. 

D.  K.  Flickiiio-er. 


SEPARATION    FROM    THIv    WORI^D. 

Many  Christians  fail  to  witness  effectually  for  the  sufficiency  of  Christ 
and  his  religion  to  satisty  the  hungerings  and  thirstings  of  the  soul  by 
going  back  to  Egypt  too  often  to  get  a  mess  of  enions,  leeks,  and  garlic. 
This  fa(5l  is  a  great  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  mankind.  One  im- 
portant design  in  keeping  Christians  in  the  world  is  to  teach  people  on 
this  point,  pra£lically,  not  to  labor  for  the  meat  that  perisheth.  But  sup- 
pose the  church  is  just  as  fond  of  the  party,  the  dance,  the  rink,  the 
horse  -  race,  the  theater,  the  opera,  of  cards,  and  the  novel  as  is  the  world  ? 
Why,  she  is  powerless  to  do  the  world  any  good  in  the  way  of  saving  it. 
She  has  lost  her  savor.  Christians  are  bound  to  show  by  their  condudl 
that  they  are  adlually  satisfied  with  the  enjoyments  of  religion,  without 
the  pomp  and  vanities  of  the  world;  that  the  joys  of  religion  and  com- 
munion with  God  keep  them  above  the  love  of  the  world.  The  ship  ma5' 
be  safe  in  the  sea,  but  there  is  no  safety  when  the  sea  gets  into  the  ship. 
People  will  not  go  aboard  a  ship  even  half  full  of  the  sea,  neither  will 
they  go  in  large  numbers  into  a  church  full  of  the  world.  There  are  too 
many  of  God's  people  living  out  in  the  world,  and  too  many  of  the  world 

are  in  the  church. 

R.  Rock. 

160 


May  21. 


May  22. 


i6i 


THK    CHURCH'S    COMMISvSION. 

"Go  teach  all  nations."     Tell  them   "God  so  loved  the  world  that  he 

gave  his  Son"  to  die  for  them.     Tell  them  that  I  was  rich,  and  for  their 

sakes  became   poor,    that  they  might  be   rich.      Tell  them   all  about  my 

sufferings  in  the  garden  and  on  the  cross.      Tell  them  that  I  was  buried, 

and   on  the  third  day  arose  again.     Tell  them  that  a  fountain  is  open  for 

sin  and  uncleanliness.     Tell  them  that  all  things  are  ready.     Tell  them  — 

tell   every  one,  rich   and   poor,  high   and   low,  noble   and   ignoble — that   I 

came  all  the  way  from  heaven  to  prepare  a  way  whereby  they  might  be 

saved.     Tell  them   that   I   have  gone  to  prepare  a  place   for  them ;  that 

there  are  mansions  and  crowns  for  them  in  my  Father's  house.     Tell  them 

that  I  will  come  again,  and  bring  all  the  holy  angels  with  me  ;  then  all 

who   have  loved   me  and  kept  my   commandments   I   will   receive    up  to 

glory. 

J.  Weaver 


THE  WAYS   OF  THE   INFINITE. 

God  carries  on  his  work  by  agencies  which  insure  great  strides  ot 
vidtory.  God's  methods  are  natural,  and  therefore  we  too  often  think  of 
them  as  necessarily  slow  in  their  process.  This  is  a  delusion.  God's 
agencies  are  often  the  most  startling  in  their  adlivity.  A  nation  is  born 
in  a  day.  Peoples  that  were  not  rise  up  and  confound  the  mighty.  Flashes 
of  flame  from  the  throne  of  God  smite  down  his  enemies.  His  love,  like 
the  sun  otji  the  winter  scene,  melts  all  into  tenderness,  and  nations  lie 
gentle  in  his  formative  hand.  The  conquests  of  the  great  God  and  his 
Christ  are  phenomenal  and  miraculous.  The  agencies  employed  may 
appear  inconsiderable,  but  they  are  weapons  mighty  through  God  in  pull- 
ing down  strongholds.  We  see  poorly  only  the  human  side  of  God's 
work.  In  our  blindness  we  seek  to  rein  up  the  events  of  God's  ages  to 
the  capabilities  of  apparent  means.  We  err  greatly.  God  strikes  a  music 
too  fine  and  exalted  for  our  dull  ears.  He  employs  arms  of  flesh  which 
have  in  them  nerves  of  steel  which  are  unseen.  Men  die  and  fall  out  of 
the  ranks  of  toil,  passing  into  the  home  and  rest  and  personal  dwelling 
with   God,  but  the  great  work  goes  on.     "God  buries  his  workmen  but 

carries  on  his  work." 

/.  W.  Hott. 


May  23. 


May  24. 
Bishop  D.  K.  Flickinger,  D.  D.,   1824. 


163 


the;  christian  coi^lkge. 

Here  the  youtli  may  be  led  through  all  the  intricate  yet  necessary 
paths  of  knowledge  by  instrucStors  who  delight  to,  sometimes,  turn  aside 
from  the  beaten  path  of  investigation  and  diredl  the  hungry  soul  of  the 
student  from  nature  up  to  nature's  God  ;  to  so  shape  his  instruAion  that 
while  the  student  is'  absorbed  in  the  wonderful  formation  of  the  rock,  the 
beauty  of  the  flower,  and  the  grandeur  of  the  stars  his  "other  soul"  i» 
drawn  toward  the  infinite  wisdom  that  fashioned  these  things.  Here 
daily  prayers  ascend.  Here  daily  counsel  and  kindly  admonition  are 
given.  And  so  the  youth  is  guarded  through  his  college  -  course,  that 
when  he  goes  out  to  take  his  place  among  the  struggling  millions,  if  he 
has  not  become  soundly  indodlrinated  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian 
religion  he  will  at  least  have  imbibed  a  goodly  share  of  wholesome  teach- 
ing, ard  will  have  his  mind  open  to  the  nobler  impulses  of  his  nature. 

D.  A.  Mobley. 


KNOWI^EDGE. 

What  makes  the  difference  between  the  conditions  of  primitive  man 
and  the  highest  conditions  of  civilized  man?  Knowledge  makes  the  dif- 
ference. Knowledge  cultivates  our  fields,  invents  our  machinery,  builds 
up  our  cities,  and  manages  the  affairs  of  government.  Knowledge  beauti- 
fies our  homes  and  utilizes  all  the  energies  of  nature  for  our  benefit.  But 
knowledge  is  a  power  that  must  be  guided  by  a  sense  of  moral  recflitude 
or  it  will  work  ruinous  effedls  somewhere.  It  may  be  in  the  management 
of  the  government  municipality,  state  or  nation.  It  may  be  in  one's  own 
private  life  which  may  be  ruinous  in  its  effe(5ts  upon  others  and  in  its 
reflex  influence  upon  yourself — as  the  life  of  the  forger  or  the  burglar 
or  the  defaulter.  No  individual  is  truly  great,  no  country  or  nation  truly 
prosperous  unless  the  knowledge  possessed  is  utilized  under  true  moral 
restraint  and  a  healthy    conscientiousness   of   the   duty  of   redlitude    and 

honor. 

W.  H.  Klinefelter. 


164 


May  25. 
Bishop  Jacob  Erb,  1805. 


May  26. 


165 


HOLINESS. 

"What  is  holiness?"  It  is  not  a  mere  emotion  or  passion,  neither  does 
it  exist  in  any  external  adts  or  ceremonies ;  but  it  is  a  moral  state  and 
habit — a  condition  of  purity  and  re(5litude.  It  is  not  a  grace,  but  the 
assemblage  of  all  the  graces  necessary  to  form  the  Christian  character.  It 
is,  in  a  word,  the  moral  image  of  God,  who  is  said  to  be  "glorious  in 
holiness,"  and  whose  nature  is  love.  The  heart  that  is  full  of  love  is  full 
of  holiness.  Yet  it  abors  sin  as  the  "abominable  thing  that  God  hates." 
Such  is  holiness.  It  is  the  harmonious  assemblage  of  all  the  moral  qualities 
necessary  to  form  a  complete  charadler.  In  it  are  beautifully  blended  piety 
and  peace,  justice  and  mercy,  and  truth  and  righteousness. 

D.  Edwards. 


THE  MINISTRY. 

This  is  the  most  sacred  office  in  the  world.  In  this  it  rises  infinitely 
above  all  others.  It  rests  on  divine  authority  and  has  for  its  end  God's 
glory  in  the  return  of  apostate  man  to  original  holiness  and  favor  with 
his  Maker.  This  sacredness  attaches  to  this  office  a  certain  dignity  which 
should  be  understood  by  those  who  are  called  of  God  to  this  work,  and 
scrupulously  preserved  by  avoiding  all  condu6t  which  is  inconsistent  with 
it.  Condu(?l  which  involves  the  violation  of  no  moral  principle,  and  which 
may  not  be  a  reproach  to  other  Christians,  may  be  altogether  improper  in 
a  minister.  The  negledt  of  his  office  for  the  sake  of  gain  or  the  honors  of 
men  is  an  infringement  upon  the  dignity  of  a  minister  as  such.  Any  busi- 
ness which  unfits  a  man  for  the  pulpit  by  monopolizing  his  thoughts  and 
casting  a  shade  upon  the  sacredness  of  his  office  in  his  own  mind  should 
be  firmly  discarded.     No  ordinary  obstacle  should  be  permitted  to  prevent 

an  earnest  engagement  in  the  work  of  saving  souls. 

W.  J.  Shuey. 


i66 


May  27. 


May  28. 


167 


PI,AIN   PREACHING, 

If  a  minister  does  not  wish  to  put  himself  on  exhibition,  and  if  he 
looks  to  the  good  of  his  hearers,  he  can  have  no  reason  to  give  the  peo- 
ple anything  else  than  plain  preaching.  "We  say  if  he  looks  to  the  good 
of  the  people;  for  a  man  with  small  ability  and  no  piety  may  draw  large 
audiences,  and  yet  do  the  people  no  good.  A  crowd  following  a  showy 
man  does  not  decide  the  question  of  his  usefulness,  nor  prove  the  unutility 
of  plain  preaching.  Plain  preaching,  though  it  makes  no  great  show,  will 
still  be  the  means  honored  of  God  in  saving  souls  when  the  eccentric 
clerical  fool  and  his  foolish  admirers  are  in  their  graves. 

Alexander  Owen- 


CHRISTIAN  I.OVE;. 

I<ove  in  man,  like  love  in  God,  moves  in  the  same  diredtion.  It  gives 
to  faith  an  easy  and  delightful  acftion.  Working  by  its  sweet  charms  it 
makes  mighty  its  instrumentalities.  Love  constrained  a  host  of  living  wit- 
nesses for  the  truth  of  Christ,  in  the  planting  of  the  Christian  church,  to 
give  up  and  sacrifice  their  most  valuable  earthly  goods  and  comforts,  and  to 
rescue  the  poor  and  degraded  who  were  seated  in  the  regions  of  darkness 
and  the  shadow  of  death.  Love,  to  elevate  wretched  humanity  stimulated 
its  happy  possessors,  not  even  to  count  their  own  lives  dear.  It  is  now 
moving  delightfully  hundreds  of  self-  sacrificing  laborers  in  heathen  lands 
to  teach  and  to  civilize  and  save  men.  Fathers,  mothers,  children,  lands, 
houses,  comforts,  and  civilization  become  secondary  matters  when  love, 
first  love,  love  to  God  and  man,  enriches  the  soul. 

Henry  Kumler,  Jr. 


i68 


May  29. 
Rev.  D.  vSpeck,  1827. 


May  30. 


169 


PERSONAI.  INTEGRITY. 

A  man  of  the  completest  integrity  must  be  alive  both  to  God  and  to 
man.  It  is  as  disgraceful  to  neglect  God  as  it  is  to  overlook  man.  Near 
my  home  in  Ohio  used  to  stand  two  trees.  The  one  had  a  noble  trunk 
which  towered  nearly  fifty  feet  without  a  branch,  and  was  graced  at  the 
top  with  a  beautiful  crown  of  branches,  whose  every  branchlet  and  twig 
seemed  to  leap  up  toward  the  heavens  to  embrace  the  sun.  The  other 
had  a  strong,  sturdy  trunk  near  the  earth,  which  extended  up  a  few  feet 
and  then  gave  off  circles  of  branches  which  grew  out  in  vigorous  form 
and  turned  downward  toward  the  earth,  as  if  eager  to  grasp  the  earth  in 
spite  of  the  sun.  Up  from  these  branches  went  a  long,  slender,  dead,  and 
shaft -like  trunk,  a  resting  place  for  every  wandering  bird,  and  the  delight 
of  the  lightning  of  many  a  storm.  These  trees  are  emblems  of  two  men. 
The  one  of  a  man  who  keeps  his  connexion  with  earth,  healthful  and 
strong,  that  it  may  contribute  to  his  crowning  glory  heavenward  and  God- 
ward;  he  is  alive  at  the  top.  The  other  is  emblematic  of  a  man  who 
clings  exclusively  to  earth,  its  treasures,  and  the  manward  side  of  life; 
he  is  dead  at  the  top.  He  doesn't  know  God  in  life  until  he  gets  into 
trouble,  or  comes  to  die.  The  better  afifeAions  of  his  nature  are  stunted, 
the  sweetness  of  the  finer  feelings  of  his  being  are  unexperienced,  while 
heaven  and  God  are  in  some  unknown  place,  millions  of  miles  from  the 
earth.  His  trunk  and  his  branches  crouch  to  the  earth  —  he  is  dead  at  the 
top.  Personal  integrity  implies  a  good  conscience  "  void  of  offence  "  God- 
zcai'd  as  well  as  vianward.  A  man  of  integrity  is  therefore  an  integer. 
His  holiness  is  wholeness.  He  has  the  abiding  element  of  freshness  in 
human  charafter.  We  tire  of  men  because  they  are  clay  patterns,  and  not 
living  individualities.  Such  a  man  will  not  be  a  stagnant  pool,  but  a  living 
stream  that  gathers  as  it  flows,  and  becomes  the  servant  and  joy  of  many. 
By  knowing  him  to-day  you  can  not  compass  him  thereby  for  to-morrow, 
for  each  day  paj^s  its  rich  tribute  to  the  wealth  of  his  increase.  He  hangs 
on  the  whims  of  no  one,  but  lives  in  the  independence  of  his  own  en- 
lightened judgment.  Tertullus  with  his  learning,  or  Felix  on  his  throne 
with  one's  life  at  slake,  can   not  abash  him.      The  harmony  of  such  a  life 

is  that  of  many  .sj^niphonies. 

W.  M.  Beardshear. 


170 


May  m. 


171 


A    TEMPERANCE  HYMN. 

Do  you  slumber  in  your  tent,  Christian  soldier, 
While  the  foe  is  spreading  woe  through  the  land? 

Do  you  note  his  rising  power 
Growing  bolder  every  hour? 

Will  he  not  our  land  devour, 

WhUe  you  stand? 

Can  you  sleep  while  homes  are  rent,  Christian  soldier? 
Are  not  heavens  turned  to  hells  by  his  power? 

Mark  you  not  the  mother's  sigh  ? 

Hear  you  not  the  children's  cry? 

See  you  not  their  loved  ones  die, 

Every  hour? 

Can  you  linger  in  your  tent.  Christian  soldier? 
Satan's  smiling  o'er  your  idle  delay; 

Thousands  perish  while  you  wait. 

While  you  counsel  and  debate  ; 

Heed  you  not  their  awful  fate. 

As  they  stray  ? 

Let  us  rise  in  holy  wrath.  Christian  soldiers, 
Crush  the  evil  'neath  the  heel  of  our  might! 

Counting  cost,  no  longer  w^ait. 

Forward,  manhood  of  the  state  1 

For  in  God  our  strength  is  great 

For  the  right. 

E.  S.  Lorens. 


172 


RECOMPENSE. 

The  night  is  long  and  dark  and  chill, 

The  threatening  storin  is  near  at  hand, 
And  we  are  tired—  my  heart  and  I. 

As  pilgrim  in  a  foreign  land 
Turns  back  with  yearning  look  and  fond, 

So  we  to  all  that  lies  beyond. 

We  had  not  thought  to  find  life  thus. 

We  meant  to  walk  the  brighter  way, 
And  we  never  have,  and  only  smiled, 

When  sunlight  changed  to  shadows  gray ; 
But  now  the  storm  is  passing  by, 

And  we  are  tired  —  my  heart  and  I. 

But  what  of  clouds  and  storm  and  night, 

When  morn's  fair  light  again  shall  come? 
And  what  of  wanderings,  faint  and  far. 

When  safe  within  our  Father's  home? 
I,ife's  sorrows  come  but  by  his  will, 

And  so,  complaining  heart,  be  still. 

Maud  Mary  A.  S{hare). 


173 


VAI.UE    OF   COI.I.EGE;  -  TRAINING. 

The   habit  of  study  and   the    mental   acuteness    and   power  acquired   at 

college   are    a   lasting   treasure   to   their   possessor.      Indeed,  long   after   he 

may   have    forgotten   Greek    roots,    mathematical   demonstrations,    and   the 

lettered   intricacies  of  his   old  book  on  logic,  he  will  yet  be  the  possessor 

of  that  fine  di.scrimination,  that  precision  of  thought,   and  that  philosophic 

grasp  which  he  secured  in  their  study  and  recital.     As  he  applies  himself 

to  some  specialty  as  a  life-work,  he  enters  upon  its  study  and  pursuit  thus 

developed  and  cultured.     He  takes  hold  of  his  work  with  a  ready  hand;  and 

if  he  faithfully  wields  the  power  which  he  has  at  his  command,  he  must 

succeed  in  a  degree  far  surpassing  the  results  of  the  lame  and  weak  efforts 

of  his  uncultured  competitors. 

L.  Bookwalier. 


CHILDREN'S   DAY. 

One  of  the  most  sacred  of  the  duties  of  the  church  is  the  care  of  the 

little  ones.     It  is,  therefore,  very  gratifying  that  everywhere  throughout  the 

Christian  world  increased  and  kindly  attention  is  being  shown  to  children. 

One  way  in  which  the  growing  interest  in  children  is  being  manifested  is  in 

the  happy  influences  and  accompaniments  of  "Children's  Day,"  a  day  which 

has  its  "pleasing  accessories  of  fragrant  flowers  and  singing -birds,  of  simple, 

gladsome,  impressive  services,"  and  is  now  popularly  observed  during  the 

early  summer  by  nearly  all  Christian  denominations.    Wherever  the  day  is 

suitably  observed,  great  good  is  accomplished  in   enlisting  the  children  in 

the  work  of  the  church,  and  impressing  the   importance   of  their  proper 

care  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  pastors  and  teachers,    as   well  as  parents. 

Na  work  in  the  Lord's  kingdom  will  yield  better  returns  than  that  bestowed 

on  the  children. 

M.  R.  Drury. 


174 


KEY  TO   OTTERBEIN'S   CHARACTER. 

It  was  not  a  form  of  philosophy;  it  was  not  a  type  of  theology;  it  was 
not  enthusiasm.  The  true  foundation  of  his  devoted  life  and  sustained 
labors  is  to  be  found  in  his  deep  perception  of  the  moral  contrasts  pre- 
sented in  the  Scriptures.  This  was  the  basis;  other  things  rested  upon 
this  foundation.  He  saw  men  lost,  and,  by  the  widest  contrast  imagin- 
able, beheld  them  redeemed.  He  appreciated  the  unspeakable  difference 
between  a  soul  unrenewed  and  a  soul  renewed.  The  difference  was  one 
of  quality,  fundamental  chara<5ler  —  not  one  of  moral  shading.  Others 
were  thinking  of  educating  a  new  man  out  of  the  old  man;  he  believed 
in  nothing  short  of  a  new  creature  in  Christ.     By  the  aid  of  the  Scriptures 

he  read  moral  truth  in  its  primitive  courses. 

A.  W.  Drury 


PRACTICAI,   PREACHING. 

The  salvation  of  the  people  should  be  the  special  objedl  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  The  great  aim  of  the  fathers  in  all  their  sermons  was  the 
salvation  of  souls.  Special  revival  seasons  a  few  months  in  the  year,  as 
we  have  it,  was  not  the  method  of  the  early  fathers  to  secure  conversions. 
Perhaps  it  were  better  to-day,  instead  of  periodical  revivals,  to  go  back  to 
the  old  method,  and  preach  so  that  in  all  our  sermons  both  saint  and 
sinner  might  get  their  portion.  While  I  ani  not  at  all  opposed  to  revival 
efforts,  yet  I  fear  that  outside  of  these  special  seasons  our  preaching  is  of 
too  general  a  character,  and  has  not  enough  of  salvation  in  it  to  reach 
the  unsaved,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  religious  life  in  many  churches 
is  of  a  spasmodic  characfler.     The  gospel  is  intensely  pradlical,  and  always 

personal  in  its  applications. 

/.  P.  Miller. 


176 


June  3. 
June  4. 

/7J6 

Rev.  J.  K.  Billheimer,  18 

• 

177 

31- 

i 

LAST  WORDS   OF   BISHOP   EDWARDS. 

As  the  hope  of  getting  well  and  of  a  longer  term  of  service  became  less, 
the  spirit  of  Bishop  Kdwards  expressed  itself  in  the  following  utterance, 
which  more  than  anything  else  may  be  regarded  as  his  last  testimony  and 
message  to  the  church:  "If  it  might  be  the  Lord's  will,  I  would  like  to  live 
to  preach  awhile  yet.  I  would  preach,  as  never  before,  salvation  by  faith 
alone.  Oh,  the  church  has  so  much  machinery,  and  there  is  such  a  dis- 
position to  interpose  so  many  things  between  inquiring  souls  and  Christ! 
Oh,  I  would  tell  them  salvation  is  by  faith  in  Christ  alone.     I  see  this  now 

as  never  before,  and  I  would  like  to  live  and  preach  it." 

L.  Davis. 


HOPE. 

Were  this  afifedlion  destroyed  from  the  human  breast,  men  would  settle 
down  in  despondency,  and  life  itself  would  be  undesirable,  if  not  absolutely 
insufferable.  Life  with  its  attendant  affli(5lions,  bereavements,  and  disap- 
pointments could  be  scarcely  endured  by  the  most  courageous  and  deter- 
mined of  human  kind.  Hope  is  the  life-giving  power  of  adlion  and 
endurance.  When  our  pathway  If  ads  through  afflicSlion  and  losses  —  even 
the  loss  of  all  earthly  good  —  hope  still  lingers  with  the  almost  despairing 
one,  to  present  the  fairest  side  of  the  pi<5ture,  and  prominently  hold  up  to 
view  better  things  to  come.  When  sick  it  tells  of  health,  when  poor  it  tells 
of  wealth,  and  when  troubled  and  disappointed  it  tells  of  success  and 
happiness  in  the  end.     It  keeps  our  heads  from  sinking,  and  impels  us  to 

renewed  and  more  vigorous  efiforts. 

D.  K.  Flickinger. 


178 


Junk  5. 


June  6. 
Rev.  A.  Helton,  1823. 


179 


MONEY   VAI^UE   OF   AN   EDUCATION. 

If  a  college -education  does  not  improve  a  man's  chances  for  the  desir- 
able positions  in  life,  then  the  number  of  college  -  graduates  found  ir 
them  should  be  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  college -graduates  in  the 
land;  that  is,  if  half  the  young  men  of  the  country  go  to  college,  then 
half  the  desirable  positions  in  life  should  be  filled  by  them.  If  it  can  be 
shown  that  less  than  half  our  young  men  go  to  college  and  more  than 
half  occupy  these  positions,  then  it  is  evident  that  a  college -education 
greatly  enhances  a  man's  prospecft  for  such  places.  If  college  -  bred  men 
attain  eminence  sooner  than  other  men  of  like  natural  ability,  that  is  of 
great  importance  in  a  short  life  like  ours,  and  is  an  argument  in  favor  of 

a  college -course. 

H.  A.    Thompson. 


HOW  MUCH  TO   GIVE. 

The  first  question  a  man  will  naturally  ask  himself  is,  What  propor- 
tion of  my  estate  should  I  give  to  religions  purposes  ?  The  circumstances 
of  people  are  so  varied  that  no  definite  rule  can  be  fixed.  Much  depends 
upon  what  a  man  is  worth  ;  how  many  children  he  ma}^  have  to  provide 
for  and  what  their  necessities  are,  and  what  use  they  are  likely  to  make 
of  their  property  ;  whether  they  are  prodigal  spendthrifts  or  industrious 
and  economical,  etc.,  etc.  Some  writer  has  said  that  the  church  should  be 
made  an  equal  heir  with  the  rest  of  the  children.  This  strikes  us  as  a 
good  rule,  but  will  have  a  good  many  exceptions.  Very  many  Christians 
should  do  more  than  this;  some  perhaps  ought  to  do  less.  Every  Chris- 
tian should  settle  this  question  on  his  knees  and  in  the  light  of  eternity; 

and  thus  settled,  we  do  not  fear  the  result. 

J.  Dickson. 


1 80 


June  7. 

Rev.  N.  G.  Whitney,  1835. 

yk  ^*     J74^-^^^^^^O^z,i>iC<2>^/^-'4'/ 

June  8. 
Rev.  W.  M.  Givens,  1S27. 

181 

MINISTERIAI.    SUPPORT. 

If  it  is  right  to  pay  any  man  for  his  labor,  it  is  right  to  pay  the  faith- 
ful minister.  He  gives  his  whole  time,  talent,  and  strength  to  this  work, 
and  should  receive  a  living  support.  No  man  can  withhold  his  means 
from  the  support  of  the  gospel  without  violating  the  ordinance  of  God, 
and  rendering  himself  unworthy  of  a  place  among  the  people  of  God. 
Any  person  refusing  to  give  as  the  L,ord  has  prospered  him  ought  to  be 
excommunicated.  He  is  not  fit  to  belong  to  the  church  of  Christ.  "The 
laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire. ' '  So  says  every  honest  man,  so  says  the  civil 
law,  and  so  says  the  divine  law.  The  faithful  minister  is  a  laborer,  just 
as  much  as  the  man  who  builds  your  houses,  makes  your  shoes,  or  plows 
in  your  fields,  and  is  just  as  much  entitled  to  his  pay  as  any  other  laborer. 
If  Christians  valued  souls  as  God  values  them,  the  faithful  minister  would 

be  better  supported. 

/.  Weaver. 


TWO   CHARACTERS. 

From  the  same  family  there  often  come  two  sons  whose  ends  in  life 
are  as  different  as  anything  we  can  imagine.  Wealth,  culture,  society,  and 
paternal  care  have  been  the  same;  yet  how  different  the  issue.  One  has 
been  a  vessel  of  honor,  the  other  of  dishonor.  One  has  become  all  that  is 
lovely  in  human  nature,  the  other  has  become  all  that  is  unlovely.  Cir- 
cumstances may  account  in  part  for  this  difference  in  result.  Inherited 
instin<5ts  and  tendencies  may  account  for  a  part.  But  the  condition  of  the 
heart  is  the  most  potent  facflor  in  the  problem.  A  pure  heart  made  one 
the  hope  and  pride  of  those  who  gave  him  birth.  An  impure  heart  made 
the  other  the  sorrow  and  shame  of  those  who  gave  him  being.  The  moral 
condition  of  the  heart  made  Paul  the  apostle  to  the  gentiles,  made  Nero 
the  monster  of  all  ages,  made  Luther  the  champion  of  the  Reformation, 
made  Philip  II.  the  murderer  of  nations.  "Keep  thy  heart  with  all  dili- 
gence, for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life." 

G.  P.  Macklin. 


182 


June  9. 


June  10. 


183 


THE   LOT  FAMILY. 

I  would  rather  obligate  myself  to  furnish  a  thousand  Lots  than  one 
Abraham.  I  think  I  could  furnish  a  thousand  Lots  without  going  far 
from  home,  or  being  long  from  home  ;  but  I  do  not  know  how  far  I  would 
have  to  go,  or  how  long  I  would  have  to  be  away  before  I  would  find  an 
Abraham.  The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  the  family  resemblance  of  the  Lots 
has  been  wonderfully  preserved  through  the  long  ages.  He  is  the  repre- 
sentative of  that  alarmingly  large  class  of  men  who  seek  offices  simply 
because  they  are  well  watered.  These  hordes  of  candidates  that  abound 
everj'where  have  not  their  hearts  set  so  much  on  the  good  of  the  coun- 
try as  on  the  profitableness  of  the  office. 

S.  A.  Mowers. 


THE  PASTOR  IN  THE   HOME. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  for  a  pastor  to  stay  away  from  the  homes  of  his 
people.  He  should  know  the  world  in  which  the  adults  and  children  of 
his  charge  live.  They  have  a  world  in  which  the  natural  predominates. 
The  books,  papers,  associates,  and  business  methods  of  that  world  should 
be  carefully  studied  by  the  pastor.  He  is  a  stranger  to  his  people  and 
they  are  strangers  to  him  if  they  only  meet  him  on  the  street  or  high- 
way, or  in  the  place  of  worship.  They  can  not  feel  any  real  helpful  inter- 
est in  one  another  because  they  have  no  more  than  a  speaking  acquaint- 
ance. In  the  home  of  the  pastor  there  are  faAs  that  the  people  ought  to 
know  ;  and  in  the  homes  of  the  people  there  are  many  fa(5ls  that  the 
pastor  must  know  if  he  would  help  them  to  a  holy  living  and  dying. 

Z.  Warner. 


June  ii. 


June  12. 
Rev.  J.  H.  Pershing,  1847. 


185 


WOMAN'S    MINISTRY. 

There  are  many  spheres  of  ministry  in  which  woman's  hands  may  do 

nobly  for   God.      It  is  given  to  her  to  nurture  and  rear  the  children  who 

are  to  be  the  acSlors  on  the  stage  of  life  in  the  coming  years.     Not  by  force, 

but  by  the  forceful,  plastic  hand  of  love  touching  the  yonng  and  tender  heart 

of  childhood   she   is  to  guide   the   destiny   of  generations.      This   may   be 

quietly    in   the    home    circle,  or   in  the   Sabbath  -  school,    or  in  the  social 

circle,  as  day  by  day  the  ears  of  children  are  open  to  her  utterances,  and 

their  eyes  watch  eagerly  her  adls  of  love.      Never  was  the  field  wider  for 

the  ministry  of  Christian  women  than  now.     Never  has  the  world  felt  more 

deeply  the  need  of  the  ministry  of  love  and  tenderness  in  opening  the  way 

for  our  I^ord  among  the  poor,  the  fallen,  and  those  who  have  not  known 

of  Jesus,  than  now. 

/.  JV.  Hott. 


ILLUSTRIOUS    EXAMPLES. 

Albert  Barnes  has  truly  said,    "We   have   most  illustrious  examples  to 

imitate.     They  are  as  numerous  as  the  drops  of  dew,  and  bright  as  the  stars 

of  the  morning.     It  is  an  honor  to  tread  in  the  footsteps  of  the  holy  men 

who  have  inherited  the  promises;  an  honor  to  feel  that  we  are  walking  in 

the  same  path  and  are  reaching  out  the  hand  to  the  same  crown."     Yes,  it 

is  an  honor  to  feel  that  we  are  engaged  in  the  same  work  that  Abraham 

and  Isaac  and  Jacob  were  engaged  in.     We  are  living,    as  it  were,  in   the 

presence  of  these  immortal  spirits.     Like  sentinels  from  their  loftj'  seats  in 

heaven,  they  are  watching  with  intense   interest  our  journeyings  through 

life.      Oh,  how  sad,  after  having  such  illustrious  examples  to  follow,  that 

we  should  become  slothful  and  indifferent  to  our  best  interests,  stray  out 

of  our  proper  course,  and  wander  away  from  God  into  the  deep,  dark  mazes 

of  sin  and  unbelief,  and  at  last  know  what  it  is  to  suffer  all  the  pangs  of 

remorse  in  the  world  of  woe;  know  what  that  worm  is  that  never  dies,  and 

that  fire  that  is  never  quenched. 

R.  E.  Williams. 


i86 


June  13. 
Rev.  Daniel  R.  Miller,  1835. 


June  14. 
Rev.  Samuel  Mills,  1831. 


187 


CHII.DHOOD. 

If  there  is  on  this  earth  one  thing  beautiful  beyond  all  others,  above 
all  price,  and  before  which  the  grandest  efforts  of  the  most  skillful  artist 
fade  into  insignificance,  it  is  a  little  child.  We  may  examine  its  physical 
frame  and  learn  how  "fearfully  and  wonderfully"  it  is  made.  We  may 
consider  the  intelle<5l  which  it  possesses,  and  which  only  needs  to  be  prop- 
erly developed  to  become  one  of  the  greatest  forces  in  all  the  universe. 
We  may  think  of  the  moral  nature  with  which  it  is  endowed,  and  which 
if  guided  aright  in  its  unfolding  shall  make  it  a  companion  for  angels; 
if  warped  and  injured,  shall  bring  curses  and  sadness  upon  all  its  asso- 
ciates, and  everlasting  mysery  upon  itself.  We  may  refle<5l  upon  all  the 
capabilities  which  are  in  that  little  body,  and  that  need  only  the  magic 
word  to  cause  them  to  spring  into  life  and  beauty.  No  matter  from  what 
stand -point  we  look  at  it,  there  is  nothing  so  beautiful,  so  precious,  among 

all  created  things. 

H.   A.   Thompson. 


GET  AN  EDUCATION. 

No  matter  if  you  purpose  to  be  a  farmer,  a  mechanic,  a  merchant,  and 
not  to  go  into  any  one  of  the  special  professions.  You  will  be  a  more 
intelligent  farmer,  a  more  skillful  mechanic,  a  more  successful  merchant, 
for  having  first  acquired  a  good  education.  No  matter  if  you,  as  a  young 
lady,  do-  not  propose  to  be  a  teacher,  a  dodlor,  a  telegraph  operator,  or 
to  follow  some  other  pursuit  requiring  special  training  and  skill.  It  is 
your  purpose  to  settle  down  into  domestic  life.  Well,  that  is  just  the  very 
noblest  sphere  you  can  fill,  if  you  qualify  yourself  to  fill  it  nobly.  And 
to  what  an  elevation  and  dignity  is  the  domestic  life  lifted  when  noble, 
cultured  matrons  preside  in  the  household.  Some  duties  will  still  be 
drudgery.  And  there  is  no  calling  or  profession  in  life  that  has  not  some 
measure  of  drudgery.  That  is  an  inevitable  incident  to  human  life;  it  can 
not  be  wholly  escaped.  But  even  drudgery  itself  is  raised  up  to  something 
of  dignity  when  persons  of  elevated  charadler  perform  it.  And  over  all 
the  family  life  there  will  glow  an  increasing  radiance  when  culture,  in- 
telligence, and  religion  brings  to  it  their  treasures. 

D.  Bersrer. 


Junk  15. 
Bishop  John  Dickson,  D.  D.,  1820. 


June  16. 


1 89 


TRUE    RELIGION. 

That  service  of  God  which  has  largel3^  an  eye  to  gaining  esteem  among 

Christians,  or  to  winning  popularity  among  men,  is  not  the  true  service  of 

Christ.     That  service  that  looks  to  itself  as  a  means  of  gaining  wealth,  or 

earthly  possessions,   is  not  much   better  than  the   piety  which  would  fain 

learn  whether  there   are  good  mill  -  sites  on  the   river  of  life.      The  true 

service  of  God  is  not  mainly  inspired  with  a  desire  to  win  even  spiritual 

happiness  here,  or  bliss  in  heaven,  though  valuable  incentives  these  may 

be.     It  serves  not  from  mere  duty,  but  from  loved  duty.     It  loves  the  will 

of  God,  the  worship  of  the  L,ord,  the  service   of  Christ.      It  delights   to 

please  the  objedl  of  the  heart's  great  love.      It  delights  to  do  good.      It 

rejoices  exceedingly  in  promoting  Christ's  kingdom.    It  finds  ecstatic  bliss 

in  magnifying  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

M.  Wright. 


THE  CRY  OF  THE  NEEDY. 

The  women  I  want  helped  —  helped  to  a  broader  view  of  the  duties  of 
Christian  women,  helped  to  a  realization  of  the  blessings  and  opportuni- 
ties of  a  gospel  land,  helped  to  a  glimpse  of  the  misery  and  degradation 
of  the  millions  of  women  who  are  in  heathen  and  pagan  lands,  and  the 
high  privilege  of  being  co-workers  with  God.  I  wish  we  could  hear  the 
words  of  the  poor  Nile  woman  who,  when  the  missionary  told  her  of  our 
lost  state  as  sinners  and  of  God's  love  in  Jesus,  looked  up  and  pitifully 
said,  "Why  was  I  never  told  this  before?"  and  that  other  sentence  of 
India's  daughter,  "These  locks  have  grown  gray  waiting  to  hear  this 
news."  Many  will  never  hear,  and  many  have  waited  long  and  are  wait- 
ing now  because  we  are  so  tardy.     Read  those  wails  again,  until  they  burn 

into  your  souls.     Who  are  to  help? 

Lillie  R.  Keister. 


190 


June  17. 


June  18. 


191 


COMMUNION. 

Sometimes  Jesus  passed  all  the  night  in  prayer.  These  were  seasons 
of  lone  communion  with  the  eternal  Unseen.  In  this,  Jesus  has  shown 
the  world  the  only  way  by  which  man  can  sustain  a  great  life,  which  in 
spirit  and  temper  and  deeds  rises  into  the  divine.  Whoever  looks  care- 
fully at  the  life  of  Christ,  his  dodlrines  and  teachings,  his  behavior  among 
his  enemies,  his  unparalleled  opposition  to  every  sin,  and  his  undisguised, 
ceaseless  love  for  the  sinner,  must  wonder  where  lie  the  sources  of  such 
a  life.  In  its  development  the  power  to  sustain  such  a  life  was  in  his 
communion  with  the  Unseen.  Our  ability  to  live  like  him  must  be  de- 
rived alone  from  long  communion  with  the  same  divine  and  heavenly 
Father.  The  reason  why  we  do  not  more  fully  represent  the  charaAer 
of  Jesus  in  our  charaefler  and  life  is  because  we  spend  so  little  time  in 
communion  with  him. 

/.    W.  Hon. 


THE    SABBATH. 

The  Sabbath  has  always  Tjeen  a  monumental  day.  Among  the  pa- 
triarchs it  was  the  standing  monument  of  the  work  of  creation.  Among 
the  prophets  and  priests  it  was  a  constant  memorial,  both  of  God's  cre- 
ative work  and  of  the  giving  of  the  law.  But  when  the  work  of  re- 
demption was  finished,  the  great  sacrifice  offered,  the  commemorative 
chara(5ler  of  the  day  was  doubled.  Conjoined  with  these  two  great 
events  is  a  third  and  greater  to  be  held  in  everlasting  remembrance  —  the 
redemptive  work  of  Christ.  Indeed,  so  prominent  is  the  commemoration 
of  the  latter  that  it  has  almost  wholly  crowded  the  others  out  of  view. 
Creating  man  was  a  great  work,  but  redeeming  him  was  greater.  ■  It  is 
not  unnatural,  therefore,  that  the  latter  and  greater  should  thiis  overshadow 
the  former  and  less.  It  is  altogether  natural,  too,  that  the  church  should 
hallow  and  keep  the  day  whereon  the  greater  work  was  consummated. 
In  accordance  with  this  natural  law  the  day  in  which  Christ  rose  was 
henceforth  called  and  kept  as  the  I,ord's  day. 

n.  uY.  Howe. 


192 


June  19. 

Rev.  Peter  C.  Hetzler,  1833.         Rev.  H.  J.  Becker,  1846. 

• 

June  20. 

1 

[12]                                              193 

-  A  pi.e;a  for  education. 

Would  you  leave  a  rich  legacy  to  your  children!  Then  educate  them 
as  much  as  you  can.  No  investment  of  money  or  labor  will  pay  better  in 
the  end.  Would  you  make  home  pleasant,  the  abode  of  social  virtue,  and 
those  around  you  happy,  educate;  it  will  promote  feelings  of  kindness  and 
respedl  toward  parents  while  living,  and  veneration  for  their  memory  when 
dead.  In  vicissitudes,  in  sorrow,  and  in  joy,  or  in  wanderings  far  away,  it 
will  cause  them  to  look  back  to  the  home  of  their  youth  as  a  sacred  spot, 
or  as  to  a  flower  in  the  desert,  and  as  a  star  to  guide  in  bewilderment  and 
toil.  Would  you  redlify  and  regulate  their  hearts  bj'  principles  of  probity 
and  honor,  and  remove  them  from  the  temptations  of  the  lower  vices  — 
educate.  If  you  wish  to  adorn  the  mind  with  an  increasing  knowledge  of 
God  as  Creator  and  Ruler  of  the  universe — educate. 

H.   G.  Spayth,  1S4S. 


HOME   READING. 

To  have  a  home  there  must  be  a  supply  of  good  reading.  With  the 
educational  advantages  of  our  day  the  majority  of  children  get  what  may 
be  called  a  literary  appetite;  and  if  the  parents  do  not  furnish  the  means 
to  gratify  that  appetite,  the  young  people  will  furnish  it  themselves.  Un- 
fortunately, they  often  make  a  bad  seledlion,  and  their  reading  is  worse  for 
their  morals  than  no  reading  at  all.  I  have  often  been  astonished  and 
chagrined  in  going  into  families  to  find  so  little  of  this  mind -food  when 
there  were  abundant  means  to  provide  it.  The  stomach  and  the  purse 
seem  to  be  the  household  gods  of  a  great  many  people.  What  a  shame 
and  a  reproach  that  so  many  are  spending  their  means  in  luxurious  living, 
fashionable  dressing,  feathers  and  jewelry,  tobacco  and  beer,  and  the  minds 
of  their  children,  as  well  as  their  own,  dwarfed  and  degraded  for  want  of 
books  and  newspapers.    To  have  a  home  in  the  true  sense  we  must  value 

the  mind  more  than  the  body. 

J.  Dickson. 


194 


June  21. 
Rev.  Caleb  W.  Witt,  li 


June  22. 


195 


GOD   IN   EVERYTHING. 

Child  of  God  accept  the  fadl  that  thy  God  is  in  every  event  of  thy 
life ;  that  there  is  not  a  single  occurrence  which  can  be  attributed  to 
chance ;  that  not  a  single  misfortune  can  befall  thee  without  his  notice  or 
permission;  that  there  is  a  ^^ needs  be"  for  all  the  affli(5lions  and  disapoint- 
ments  and  trials  through  which  thou  art  called  to  pass.  "Oh,"  said  an 
eminent  saint,  "what  a  pillow  is  this  'needs  be  '  on  which  to  rest  an  aching 
head!"  What  we  know  not  now  concerning  God's  providential  dealings 
with  us,  we  shall  know  hereafter, — "when  the  mists  have  cleared  away." 

/.  Hoke. 


THE   MOTHER'S   DEVOTION. 

She  will  do  more  for  her  child  than  any  stranger  will  do.  If  her  child 
is  stricken  with  disease,  she  watches  over  it  day  after  day,  and  her  highest 
pleasure  is  to  do  anything  at  all  that  can  contribute  to  its  comfort.  She 
knows  no  weariness.  Her  spirit  is  ever  watchful,  and  her  muscles  seem 
to  be  iron.  She  is  always  readjr  to  get  anything  the  suffering  one  calls 
for,  and  even  to  stay  by  its  bedside  and  anticipate  its  wants.  You  can 
not  persuade  her  to  leave  it  alofle.  You  who  have  mothers  know  how 
this  is.  You  remember  the  past.  Why  is  the  mother  thus  devoted  to 
her  children?  Because  she  has  a  mother's  nature  and  a  mother's  love. 
God  foresaw  the  trials  of  her  situation,  the  labors  of  her  lot,  and  merci- 
fully gave  her  such  an  undying  love  for  her  infant  that  it  is  even  a  joy 

to  suffer  for  its  sake. 

Alexander  Owen. 


iq6 
J 


June  23. 


June  24. 


197 


GOD'S  BATTLES. 

All  who  are  living  pure  and  true  lives;  who  are  loyal  to  God  and  duty 
—  are  fighting  God's  battles.  The  farmer  following  his  plow  and  the  sena- 
tor in  Congress,  the  faithful  mother  teaching  her  child  the  way  of  life 
and  the  learned  professor  in  his  chair,  the  little  rag-picker  in  the  streets 
as  well  as  the  woman  of  means  who  endows  a  college,  all  are  alike  fight- 
ing the  same  battles.  No  matter  how  high  or  low  in  life  may  be  our  sta- 
tion, how  pleasant  or  disagreeable  the  work  in  hand,  whatever  we  do, 
provided  we  are  in  the  line  of  duty,  we  are  fighting  for  God.  All  such 
work  is  honorable.  AH  occupations  in  which  this  can  be  done  are  noble. 
All  others,  however  high  in  human  estimation,  are  dishonorable,  and  not 
to  be  engaged  in  by  those  who  seek  God's  help. 

H.  A.    Thompson. 


WOMAN'S   SUFFRAGE. 

Quietly,  and  yet  steadily,  a  sentiment  in  favor  of  woman  -  suffrage  is 
growing  in  this  country,  just  as  it  has  been  growing  for  years  past  in 
Great  Britain.  Perhaps  in  that  country  the  sentiment  is  strengthened  by 
the  experience  of  the  results  of  woman's  influence  in  government,  the  two 
most  brilliant  and  prosperous  periods  the  country  has  ever  had  having 
both  been  under  female  sovereigns.  Queen  Elizabeth  and  the  present 
reigpning  queen.  In  this  country  the  sentiment  has  gained  force  from  the 
prevalent  belief  that  if  women  voted  there  would  be  hope  of  counteraAing 
and  ultimately  destroying  the  fatal  saloon  -  power.  In  about  a  dozen  of 
our  states  the  ballot  is  already  in  the  hands  of  women  so  far  as  relates  to 
the  ele(5tion  of  school  -  boards,  and  in  a  few  of  them  for  all  voting  pur- 
poses. Many  of  the  most  enlightened  and  progressive  citizens  of  our 
country  support  the  principle  as  just  and  equitable,  and  it  seems  quite 
probable  that  at  no  distant  period  this  intelligent  and  most  virtuous  half 
of  our  American  citizenship  will  be  granted  all  the  privileges  that  are  now 
given  without  limit  to  the  ignorant,  the  vicious,  and  depraved,  of  the  other 
sex. 

D.  Berger. 
198 


June  25. 


June  26. 


199 


IMPORTANCE   OF  REI^IGION. 

There  is  no  way  to  get  on  with  the  race  without  religion.  The  world 
can  not  be  governed  successfully  without  a  public  conscience.  There  is 
no  public  conscience  when  there  is  no  religion.  If  Christianity  were  left 
out  of  account,  then  infidels  would  have  to  get  up  some  religion  which 
would  create  a  public  conscience  upon  which  to  govern  the  world.  Could 
they  ever  do  so  well  for  the  world  in  furnishing  a  religion  as  Christ  has 
done?  Are  not  the  obligations  to  extend  the  influence  and  dominion  of 
Christianity  incumbent  upon  all.  There  must  be  a  religion.  It  is  wise 
to  take  hold  of  the  best,  and  the  all  that  is  Christ. 

/.   W.  Hott. 


EARI.Y    CONVERSIONS. 

Many  of  the  most  influential  and  steadfast  Christians  of  to-day  came 
to  Jesus  when  children.  "Many  of  our  most  learned  divines  and  most 
devoted  and  useful  Christian  ladies  date  their  conversion  to  the  early  age 
of  three,  four,  five,  and  six  years."  Over  a  century  ago  President  Ed- 
wards wrote  the  life  of  Phebe  Bartlett,  who  was  converted  at  four  years 
of  age.  She  lived  sixty  years  afterward,  and  never  doubted  her  conver- 
sion nor  gave  occasion  for  others  to  doubt  it.  In  the  Bible  there  are 
mentioned  Moses,  Samuel,  Samson,  Solomon,  Jonah,  David,  Daniel, 
Timothy,  and  others  who  were  in  their  youth  converted  to  the  Lord, 
In  the  early  history  of  the  church  are  mentioned  Honorius,  the  great 
Theodoret,  Aldric,  bishop  of  Mans,  Paul  the  first  hermit,  and  Polycarp, 
bishop  of  Smyrna,  who  when  called  to  die  a  martyr's  death,  said  that  he 
had  served  Christ  eighty-six  years.  And  so  a  large  number  of  zealous 
and  able  Christian  workers  might  be  enumerated  down  to  the  present 
time,  who  when  young  were  brought  to  Jesus,  converted  to  his  love,  lived 
exemplary  Christians,  and  died  in  the  triumphs  of  Christ. 

W.  M.  Beardshear. 


June  27. 


June  28. 
President  G.  P.  Macklin,  1850. 


PASTORAIv  VISITING. 

It  brings  with  it  a  conscious  satisfaAion  —  a  peace  of  mind  which  no 

other  work  insures.     A  day  thus  spent  brings  an  evening  of  bliss  and  a  night 

of  sweet  repose.     It  secures  the  feeling  which  always  succeeds  a  faithful 

discharge  of  duty.     It  furnishes  food  for  the  mind,  original  thought,  fresh 

and  invigorating.    Cotton  Mather  looked  upon  this  work  as  laborious  as  any 

in  all  his  ministry,  but  set  a  great  value  upon  his  pastoral  visits.     He  not 

only  did  but  got  good  in  his  conversations  with  all  sorts  of  persons,  and 

thought  he  never  walked  more  in  the  Spirit  than  this  walking  to  his  flock, 

to  serve  and  seek  their  best  interests. 

IV.  J.  Shuey. 


THE   BEST  KNOWI.EDGE. 

Our  Sunday  -  schools  are  designed  to  impart  a  treasure  of  divine  knowl- 
edge, to  enlighten  the  intelleA,  as  "the  entrance  of  thy  word  giveth  light." 
The  memory  of  youth  treasures  up  the  "light,"  and  it  becomes  pure,  healthy 
material  for  thought,  and  is  finally  transmitted  into  like  characSler.  This 
kind  of  knowledge  is  more  worthy  than  any  other  to  become  part  of  the 
eternal  furniture  of  the  mind;  it  is  the  highest,  the  profoundest,  the  most 
inspiring.  The  heart  is  also  improved  by  this  means.  "Thy  word  have  I 
hid  in  my  heart  that  I  might  not  sin  against  thee."  The  word  of  God  reveals 
to  the  heart  its  sinfulness,  and  at  the  same  time  it  awakens  a  desire  for 
purity.  The  heart  full  of  God's  word  will  send  forth  a  living  stream  to  bless 
the  world.  What  gives  light  to  the  intelledt  and  leads  to  purity  of  heart  will 
elevate  and  regulate  the  life.     The  word  of  God  is  the  blessed  code  for  the 

guidance  of  human  life. 

/.  5.  Mills. 


June  29. 
Rev.  David  B.  Sherk,  1837. 


June  30. 


203 


I  have  no  objeAion  to  barrels,  jugs,  and  bottles,  if  they  be  properly 
used,  and  are  not  made  to  hold  the  inebriating  poison. 

IV.  R.   Coursey,  iSjg. 

There  is  nothing  more   pleasing  to  me  than  to  see  young  men  in  the 

bloom  of  life  break  the  ranks  of  the   enemy  and  enlist   in   the    service  of 

Christ. 

Malt  Mas  Ambrose. 

Some  people   expe<?l  to  do  something  for  God  and  the   church  before 

they  die;    and   some   are   thinking  of  leaving   a   few  dollars   in   their  wills 

for  the  missionary  cause.      It  wculd  be  well  to  bring  our  alabaster  -  boxes 

and  break  them  before  we  die.  • 

George  Sickafoose. 

The  Bible  is  not  only  the  oldest,  but  the  best  book  in  the  world.  The 
matter,  the  end,  the  harmony,  the  success  of  the  Scriptures,  together  with 
their  wonderful  preservation,  charadler  of  the  writers,  accomplishments  of 
their  predictions,  should  convince  as  of  their  divine  authority. 

J.  Markwood. 

Our  religion  is  the  daughter  of  heaven,  the  parent  of  our  virtues,  and 
is  the  only  permanent  source  of  happiness.  Religion  alone  gives  lasting 
peace  and  felicity.  She  diverts'  the  mind  from  all  corroding  cares,  she  im- 
plants substantial  joy,  and  sheds  a  heavenly  radiance  in  the  breast. 

L.  S.  Grove 

The  duty  and  business  of  the  minister  is  to  instnidl  others  in  the  way 

in  which  they  should  go.     But  how  can  a  man  teach  others  that  which  he 

does    not    know?      In    religious   experience    and   practical   piety  he   should 

always  lead  the  way,  and  be  able  to  say  with  the   apostle,  "Follow  me  as 

I  follow  Christ." 

E.   Van  Demur k,   182,7. 

If  strong  drink  dethrones  reason,  the  designs  of  Heaven  are  thereby  per- 
verted, and  man,  the  noblest  work  of  God,  becomes  a  debased,  polluted, 
and  polluting  wretch,  incapable  while  under  its  influence  of  enjoying  the 
rich  feast  of  rational  enjoyments  which  the  gospel  spreads  before  the  real 

lovers  of  rational  piety. 

Jolin  Morgan,  182,7. 

204 


POSTHUMOUS   PRAISE. 

Why  not  give  the  true  their  just  meed  of  praise 
In  their  hours  of  care  and  their  toilsome  ways? 
Whj'  not  bless  their  name  and  inspire  their  heart 
'Fore  their  hands  grow  faint  and  their  feet  depart? 

And  the  tokens  rich  you  expeift  to  give 
When  your  friends  are  dead,  give  them  while  they  live. 
The  kind  words  you'd  say  when  your  friends  are  gone, 
Speak  them  now  in  life;   they  will  help  them  on. 

And  the  flowers  you  'd  spread  o'er  their  graves  when  dead, 

Scatter  now  in  life  on  the  paths  they  tread; 

It  will  cheer  their  hearts  and  illume  their  way, — 

It  will  uer\-e  their  arms  for  the  battle's  fray. 

For  'tis  better  far  that  their  graves  be  bare  — 
Not  a  rose  to  shed  its  sweet  fragrance  there  — 
Thau  their  lives  should  none  of  your  flowers  share. 
And  they  fade  and  droop  and  the  shadows  wear. 

L,et  your  marks  of  love  be  no  fainter  now, — 
Place  no  fewer  wreaths  on  the  sleeping  brow; 
Speak  and  think  no  less  of  your  precious  dead, — 
Plant  no  fewer  flowers  on  their  lowly  bed; 

But  strew  more,  still  more,  in  the  paths  of  life. 
In  the  rugged  way  and  the  battle's  strife; 
Break  your  fragrant  box  on  the  living  head, — 
Speak  j'our  words  of  praise  ere  your  friends  are  dead. 

Speak  thy  heart  to  them  of  a  deed  well  done, 
Of  success  achieved,  of  opinions  won; 
It  will  help  them  on  in  the  way  so  drear. 
It  will  cheer  the  heart  and  dry  up  the  tear. 


D.  N.  HowBi 


205 


THE  TEARS   OF  JESUS. 

They  teach  us  that  we  should  take  Jesus  with  us  to  the  graves  of  our 

friends.     And  what  is  a  tomb  without  Jesus?    It  is  a  place  of  gloom  and 

darkness,  a  place  of  bitter  regrets,  of  painful  recolledlions,  of  overflowing 

tears.     Go  alone  to  the  grave  and  it  is  a  hopeless  place.     Go  in  companj^ 

with  Jesits,  and  hope  and  resurredlion  and  life  spring  up  to  gladden  the 

heart  and  revive  the  spirit.     Do  you,  like  Martha  and  Mary,  make   these 

sad  pilgrimages,  sometimes,  to  the  graves  of  your  loved  ones,    to  weep? 

Like  them,  take  Jesiis  with  you. 

.S.  A.  Mowers. 


WOMAN'S  DESIRE  FOR  AFRICA. 

The  hope  of  the  civilization  of  Africa  is  with  the  children.  Our  mission- 
aries acknowledge  that  with  adults  the  power  of  wicked  habits  has  become 
so  strong  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  make  any  lasting  impression  upon 
them,  but  that  the  children  taught  in  their  schools,  and  converted  in  child- 
hood, make  genuine  Christians,  We  wish  to  send  them  schools, — not  one, 
but  many  here  and  there  in  different  villages, — that  the  children  may  be 
taught  to  read  as  ours  are  taught.  If  we  can  do  this,  the  next  generation 
will  not  be  heathen  like  this  one;  for  if  they  can  read  they  will  have  the 
Bible.     And  where  the  light  is,  darkness  flies  away. 

Mrs.  D.  L.  Hike. 


206 


PLAN   IN   DIVERvSlTY. 

Dr.  Guthrie  once  said  that  God  did  not  plant  the  forests  with  trees  and 
strew  the  fields  with  flowers  according  to  the  classifications  of  the  botanists. 
A  similar  remark  might  be  made  of  the  manner  of  the  distribution  of  the 
precious  things  of  the  divine  word.  Yet,  as  the  botanist  finds  in  Nature's 
promiscuous  profusion  the  most  beautiful  principles  of  order,  so  in  the  rich 
wealth  of  the  Bible  the  Bible  -  student  finds  a  plan  whose  far-reaching  com- 
prehensiveness embraces  the  entire  realm.  The  impress  of  the  same  mind 
is  borne  on  every  page,  its  grasp  is  upon  every  thought,  and  a  grand  and 

perfe(5l  plan  extends  throughout  the  whole. 

D.  Berber. 


THE   HIGHEST  MOTIVE. 

The  highest  motive  that  can  incite  any  being  is  the  desire  to  glorify 
God.  This  all -refined  and  all -refining  motive  subdues  and  controls  all 
passions,  and  raises  the  soul  far  above  their  control.  Going  out  after  God, 
intent  on  his  honor,  the  soul  becomes  forgetful  of  self  and  self- gratification. 
Selfishness  is  lost  in  the  boundless,  blissful  ocean  of  "eternal  love.  This 
induces  benevolence  of  adlion.  As  God  is  moved  by  pure  benevolence 
in  all  his  adlions,  the  soul  wedded  to  him  and  pervaded  by  his  all  -  engrossing 
presence  is  moved  in  the  same  way.  The  greatest  of  all  treasures  is  the 
moral  state  and  heritage  of  the  soul  whose  supreme  pleasure  is  in  the  glory 

of  God. 

/.   K.  Alu/ood. 


208 


HEAVEN  ON  EARTH. 

Heaven  the  eternal  abode  of  the  omnipresent  Jehovah,  and  the  ever- 
lasting habitation  of  his  saints  and  angels!  Heaven  the  resting  place  of 
our  departed  friends,  who  are  now  living  in  light  and  glory  inaccessible  to 
mortals.  Oh,  how  I  long  for  thee!  But  stay  my  soul  in  thy  longings  after 
a  future  heaven  at  present.  Mayest  thou  not  now  enter  into  heaven,  the 
heaven  of  spiritual  rest  in  Jesus?  In  this  heaven  of  faith  in  Jesus  we 
have  all  the  elements  of  our  future  heaven.  In  this  rest  of  faith  in  Jesus 
we  have  our  future  heaven  begun — our  future  heaven  will  be  our  present 
heaven  perfe(5led. 

L.  Davis. 


WORK  FOR  WII.I.ING   HANDS. 

"When  the  ravens  brought  no  more  flesh  and  the  brook  dried  up,  it  be- 
came the  honored  privilege  of  woman  to  give  food  to  the  great  prophet 
who  should  afterward  ascend  up  into  heaven  in  a  chariot,  whose  wheels 
rolled  in  fire.  To  some  it  may  be  only  a  handful  of  meal  and  a  little  oil 
in  a  cruise;  but  when  the  command  of  the  L,ord  is  obeyed  the  barrel  of 
meal  shall  not  waste,  neither  shall  the  cruise  of  oil  fail.  Did  not  Esther 
deliver  her  nation  from  death?  To  her  it  seemed  like  presumption  to  go 
into  the  king's  presence,  but  with  her,  as  with  us,  when  in  the  stridl 
line  of  duty  the  king  will  hold  out  the  golden  scepter,  and  we  may  draw 
near  and  touch  the  scepter.  The  woman  that  broke  the  alabaster  -  box  of 
ointment,  pouring  it  on  the  Savior's  head,  scarcely  realized  the  greatness 
of  the  adl  she  performed.  But  the  Savior  said,  "Wheresoever  this  gospel 
shall  be  preached  throughout  the  whole  world,  this  also  that  she  hath  done 
shall  be  spoken  of  for  a  memorial  of  her."  "She  hath  done  what  she 
could."     Ought  we  not,  like  her,  pour  out  our  best  gifts  at  his  divine  feet, 

yielding  up  our  all  for  him? 

Mrs.  Benj.  Marot. 


I^OVE. 

Great  is  Love;  mightier  than  the  mig-htiest  of  men  or  angels,  yet  as 
humble  and  as  docile  as  a  happy  child.  It  is  an  emanation  of  the  light  in- 
effable, shining  forth  clear  and  bright,  with  rays  bland  and  mild,  yet  warm 
enough  to  thaw  and  mellow  our  frigid  hearts,  and  start  in  the  soul  affec- 
tions pure  and  holy,  kindled  into  life  by  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God. 
These  affedlions  in  the  soul  of  the  truly  pious  furnish  the  distindlive  and 
unmistakable  tokens  of  the  true  sons  and  daughters  of  God.  This  love 
shed  abroad  in  the  heart  is  a  covenanted  gift  and  blessing.  "Know,  there- 
fore, the  Lord  thy  God;  he  is  God,  the  faithful  God,  which  keepeth  cove- 
nant and  mercy  with  them  that  love  him." 

H.   G.  Spayth,  1852. 


THE  THOUGHT   OF  GOD. 

To  have  correal  conceptions  of  God  continually  before  our  minds  would 

soon  mold  us  into   his   moral   image.      How  our  hearts  would  glow  with 

divine  love.     How  would  we  with  holy  admiration  pattern  after  his  moral 

excellences  and  long  to  be  like  him.      Our  minds  would  be  strengthened 

and  ennobled  by  communion  with  him.    Our  hearts  would  catch  fire  by 

contact  with  the  ardent  flame  of  divine  love.     Our  words,  our  ac5tions,  even 

our   very  manners,  would  acquire  excellence   from   such  association,  from 

such  heavenly  acquaintanceship.     We  should  receive  more  instrudlion  than 

we  could  derive  from  the  company  of  sages;    more  gems  than  could  be 

gathered  on  the  hills  of  science;  better  graces  than  are  taught  in  the  halls 

of  fashion;    finer  beauties  than   are   to  be   seen   in  the  galleries   of  taste; 

more   divine   knowledge   than    can   be    acquired   in    che    "schools    of  the 

prophets." 

M.  Wright. 


July  7. 
Rev.  Jacob  Bachtel,  Jr.,  1812. 


July  8. 


213 


the;  bibIvE  a  model  book. 

The  grandest  strides  of  literature  have  been  made  under  the  diredl  light 
of  the  Bible.  This  is  to  be  attributed  to  two  fa<fts  chiefly:  first,  to  the  in- 
fluence and  power  of  the  Bible  upon  the  chara(5ler  and  thoughts  of  men; 
secondly,  to  the  superior  charadler  of  the  composition,  thought,  and 
general  literature  of  the  Bible  as  a  model.  In  the  simple  and  diredl  in- 
fluence of  this  example  more  has  been  done  for  the  advancement,  eleva- 
tion, and  purification  of  the  literature  of  the  world,  than  by  the  example 
of  all  other  literary  masterpieces  of  the  world.  Men  who  have  been  hon- 
ored by  their  race  as  the  chieftains  in  literature,  have  never  written  more 
grandly  than  when  they  have  bowed  down  to  pay  th^ir  holiest  reverence 
to  this  book  as  infinitely  the  superior  of  all  writings. 

/.  W.  Hott. 


HEAVEN  TO  THE   POOR. 

The  poor  man  thinks  of  heaven  as  a  place  of  possession ;  a  place  where 

poverty  will  never  show  its   ugly  face;   where   the  wolf  will   never  come 

nigh  the  door.      He  has  had  a  hard  struggle  of  it  in  this  world.      As  he 

has  passed  the  homes  of  wealth  and  luxury,  as  he  has  seen  the  children 

of  the  rich  enjoying  ease  and  advantages  denied  himself  and  his  own,  his 

mind  has  been  troubled.     He  has  toiled  hard  and  long  to  get  a  home  on 

earth  where  he  can  spend  the  evening  of  life  and  die  in  peace.      Many  of 

these  hard  toilers  have  failed  in  this,  and  many  others  have  only  secured 

a  gloomy  cabin  with  scanty  fare  for  themselves  and  families?     Is  it  to  be 

wondered  that   he   longs   for   the   home    in   heaven  —  that   he,    more   than 

others,  thinks  of  the    "house  not  made  with  hands,"    "the  inheritance  of 

the  saints  in  light?"     Does   not  the  Savior  encourage  such  hopes  in  the 

promise   that  he    has  gone   to  provide   places   for   his  people — a  prepared 

home  for  them  in  the  "Father's  house?" 

J.  Dickso7i. 


214 


July  9. 


July  10. 
Rev.  George  Miller,  1837. 


215 


SLANDER -PROOF. 

The  deeply- pious  soul  rises  in  the  devotions  of  his  heart  far  above 
the  aspersions  of  the  persecutor.  It  is  enough  for  him  to  know  that  his 
record  is  on  high.  He  pities  the  poor  bigot  who  seeks  no  better  employ- 
ment than  reviling  his  fellow -men.  He  rejoices  that  he  is  counted  worthy 
to  share  with  the  I<ord  in  the  persecutions  of  the  wicked.  There  is  peace 
in  a  consciousness  of  redlitude  before  God  that  the  wicked  tongue  of  the 
slanderer  can  never  destroy.  The  life  of  such  a  soul  is  hid  with  Christ 
in  God.     Sure  he  is  on  the  earth,  but  his  conversation  is  in  heaven. 

William  Hanby,  iS^o. 


OUR   HERITAGE. 

The  church  has  passed  the  days  of  her  deep  anguish,  sorrow,  and  blood. 
Her  present  members  are  but  faintly  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  weight 
of  sufferings  endured  by  Christians  during  the  first  three  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era,  within  which  three  millions  suffered  martyrdom  by  Jewish 
and  heathen  persecutions.  The  history  of  the  subsequent  persecutions  and 
sufferings  of  Christians  by  those  of  the  same  name  is  read  as  a  tale  that  is 
told.  The  shocking  scenes  that  transpired  in  Germany,  Bohemia,  Poland, 
Hungary,  France,  England,  and  Ireland,  when  Christians  endured  all  the 
cruel  torture  that  devils  could  invent  or  wicked  men  could  inflidl,  till  their 
blood  was  poured  out  like  flowing  rivers  to  deluge  the  land,  are  nearly 
lost  in  the  dim  shades  of  the  distant  past,  while  we  enjoy  the  blessing 
of  liberty,  the  quietude  of  repose,  and  the  safety  of  protedlion. 

William  Davis,  iSjj. 


216 


July  ii. 
Rev.  Amos  H.  Rice,  1849.         Rev.  John  P.  Miller,  1853. 


July  12. 


217 


ADVICE  TO  STUDENTS. 

If  success  is  desired  you  must  be  prompt  and  systematic  in  your 
studies.  In  order  to  this,  intrusions  during  study  -  hours,  no  matter  from 
what  quarter  they  come,  must  not  be  allowed.  Give  your  fellow  -  students, 
and,  indeed,  all  others,  to  understand  this  at  once.  If  you  will  firmly 
and  persistently  take  this  course,  study  will  soon  become  easy  and  suc- 
cessful. This,  you  may  be  sure,  is  the  experience  of  all  who  have  tried 
it.  Nor  can  you  reasonably  hope  to  succeed  without  a  rigid  observance 
of  this  rule;  that  is  to  say,  you  can  not  do  thorough  work  without 
order,  system,  and  perseverance.  These  are  cardinal  virtues  in  the  life 
of  a  student.  Other  good  qualities  may  be  possessed,  but  nothing  can 
supply  the  lack  of  these. 

L.  Davis. 


THE   SPRINGS   OF  TRUE   JOY. 

Success  in  business,  the  accumulation  of  wealth,  ability  to  command 
position,  personal  influence  can  not  produce  such  grand  results  as  the 
possession  of  eternal  life  "here"  and  "now."  The  possessor  of  all  these 
may  be  happy,  but  it  is  not  his  success,  accumulations,  or  position  that 
makes  him  so.  If  he  does  not  "now"  possess  eternal  life  he  will  get 
but  a  low  grade  of  joy -life  from  those  outward  possessions.  I  have  been 
entertained  in  wealthy  homes  where  all  that  money  could  buy  was  pos- 
sessed, yet  in  those  mansions  there  was  a  skeleton  that  turned  those 
princely  palaces  into  garnished  sepulchers,  cold  and  sad  as  death  itself. 
And  I  have  been  in  cabins  of  poverty  and  temporal  need  and  yet  with  all 
their  seeming  dreariness  and  want  they  were  like  the  outer  courts  of 
heaven  —  made  joyous  with  the  fullness  of  God's  peace  and  love.  True 
joy  is  joy  within  the  soul. 

W,  M.  Givens. 


218 


July  13. 
Rev.  Edmond  S.  Lorenz,  A.  M.,  1854. 


July  14. 
Rev.  Wm.  Otterbein  Grimm,  1837. 


219 


THU  "WORTH   OF  SOULS. 

It  would  seem  that  the  great  worth  of  souls  ought  to  constrain  us  to 
earnest  efforts  for  their  salvation.  And  it  would,  had  we  a  just  estimate 
of  the  worth  of  a  soul.  Earth  has  nothing  so  valuable  as  the  souls  of 
men,  nothing  that  should  call  forth  such  earnest,  personal  efforts  as  the 
bringing  of  them  to  Christ.  Yet,  how  we  labor  year  after  year  for  the 
honor  that  fadeth  and  the  treasure  that  faileth,  while  precious  immortal 
souls  are  perishing  all  around  us.  How  we  economize  and  bear  double 
loads  that  our  children  may  secure  a  good  education  or  have  a  good  out- 
set. Noble  sacrifices!  But  there  is  something  more  important.  Better 
than  success  in  business  and  better  than  the  ripest  culture,  is  the  salvation 
of  their  souls. 

D.  N.  Hoive. 


THANK    YOU. 

It  is  so  easy  to  say  "Thank  you."  The  effort  it  costs  is  so  slight.  The 
two  short  words  are  so  quickly  spoken,  and  yet  they  mean  so  much. 
They  do  not  mean  only  that  you  are  really  thankful,  but  they  indicate 
that  you  observe  the  gentle  courtesies  of  life,  and  that  goes  far  toward 
making  up  what  we  regard  as  the  cultured  gentleman  or  lady.  There  are 
things  that  are  of  far  greater  value  than  mere  polish  and  glitter.  Solid 
deeds  are  of  vastly  more  consequence.  But  even  the  best  deeds  acquire 
added  worth  when  performed  with  gentleness  and  grace  rather  than  ren- 
dered in  a  rude  or  uncouth  way.  The  diamond  possesses  intrinsic  value 
in  the  rough,  but  its  worth  is  immensely  heightened  when  the  gem  is 
polished.  Gold  from  the  mine  is  valuable,  but  its  worth  is  increased  when 
purified  and  stamped  into  coin,  or  wrought  into  beauty  by  the  skill  of  the 

artist. 

D.  Berger. 


July  15. 
Rev.  J.  K.  Alwood,  1828. 


July  16. 


REWGION  NEEDBD. 

Religion  betters  the  external  condition  of  men  by  making  an  industrious 
man  out  of  an  indolent  one,  a  sober  man  out  of  a  drunkard,  an  honest  man 
out  of  a  dishonest  one.  It  substitutes  economy  for  prodigality,  and,  in 
short,  gives  a  judicious  direction  to  all  the  eflforts  of  its  subjects.  But  a 
man  may  have  all  these  and  not  be  a  Christian.  He  may  be  nothing  but 
a  thrifty  worldling  at  best,  and  needs  the  kingdom  of  God  zvithin  him, 
not  to  better  his  temporal  estate,  but  that  his  soul  may  be  saved,  and  his 
talents  sandtified  to  higher  ends  than  those  which  now  engross  his  at- 
tention. 

W.  J.  Shuey. 


VAIvUH  OF  THE  CIvASSICS. 

Classical  study  gives  us  a  view  of  the  world  in  the  vigor  of  youth.  It 
opens  the  fountains  of  knowledge  from  which  modern  authors  have  drank. 
It  leads  us  into  the  history  of  two  of  the  most  interesting  people  of  the 
past.  It  directs  us  into  the  study  of  Greek  philosophy  which  has  fur- 
nished thoughts,  models,  and  rivals  of  modern  philosophers.  It  gives  a 
mental  discipline  and  a  culture  in  taste  not  obtained  by  other  studies. 
The  study  of  languages,  especially  the  study  of  the  classical  languages, 
opens  the  side  of  our  nature  toward  humanity.  Followed  by  history, 
logic,  and  philosophy,  it  prepares  us  for  and  introduces  us  to  the  study 
of  mind  and  immaterial  things. 

J.  A.    Weller. 


July  17. 
Rev.  E.  S.  Bunce,  i8ii 


July  18. 


223 


FRIENDS. 

We  like  to  have  friends.  We  like  for  others  to  know  that  we  have 
friends.  Some  friends  may  have  deserted  us.  Some  have  gone  far  away. 
Others  are  buried  in  the  grave,  and  our  hearts  swell,  and  our  eyes  moisten, 
and  there  is  something  chokes  up  our  throats  as  we  think  of  them  and  of 
the  sweet  past.  Still,  we  want  present,  living,  real  friends.  Addison  said, 
"There  is  indeed  no  blessing  of  life  that  is  any  wa}'  comparable  to  a  discreet 
and  virtuous  friend."  Aristotle  felt  the  need  when  he  said,  "There  are  no 
friends."  Bmenson  uttered  a  true  and  beautiful  sentiment  when  he  said, 
"Our  chief  want  in  life  is  somebody  who  shall  make  us  do  what  we  can. 
This  is  the  service  of  a  friend."  It  was  Young  who  said,  "A  friend  is 
worth  all  hazards  we  can  run."  Who  would  want  to  live  another  day  if  no 
heart  beat  in  unison  with  his  own?  Who  would  care  to  battle  with  life's 
ills  if  there  were  none  to  wish  him  a  better  lot,  or  grace  to  bear  the  present? 
It  is  the  heart  asserting  its  itself  when  it  calls  up  "a  friend  of  mine." 

J.  W.  Hott. 


RECOGNITION  IN   HEAVEN. 

Those  who  have  gone  from  us  have  not  returned  to  tell  us  how  it  will 
be  over  there.  For  aught  we  know  the  departed  may  be  very  near  to  us; 
they  may  be  all  around  us,  but  we  can  neither  see  nor  hear  them.  Some- 
times, in  our  eagerness  to  catch  even  a  whisper  from  them,  we  press  our 
ear  against  the  thin  veil  that  separates  this  world  from  that.  But  all  is 
quiet.  Not  a  whisper  comes  to  us.  In  spite  of  this  painful  silence,  we 
believe  —  yes,  in  our  heart  of  hearts  we  believe  —  they  are  living  still,  and 
that  some  time  we  shall  see  them  and  know  them.  While  we  may  not  now 
understand  how  we  shall  know  each  other  in  the  world  to  come,  we  can  not 
erase  from  our  minds  the  impression  that  those  we  have  known  on  earth  we 
shall  know  in  heaven.  Does  not  that  mother  expedl  to  know  her  own  child 
in  heaven?  It  may  be  that  we  shall  know  each  other  by  sight  or  by  some 
kind  of  intuition.  Be  that  as  it  may,  "we  shall  know  as  we  are  known,  and 
see  as  we  are  seen."  It  seems  to  me  that  this  idea  of  heavenly  recognition 
is  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  highest  order  of  reason,  as  well  as  the  deepest 
yearnings  of  our  souls.  In  memory  and  affedlion  we  cling  to  our  loved  ones 
and  refuse  to  give  them  up.  Their  image  is  photographed  upon  our  souls, 
and  our  faith  and  hope  say  we  shall  see  them  again.  J.  Weaver. 


224 


[14] 


July  19. 


July  20. 


225 


THE  TOBACCO -HABIT. 

The  use  of  tobacco  is  a  barbarism.  The  civilized  race  acquired  the 
habit  of  the  savage  tribes  of  America.  Being  of  a  barbaric  origin,  it  is 
not  strange  that  the  habit  tends  to  make  men  swagger  and  strut  and 
boast  and  adl  more  or  less  like  barbarians.  That  it  has  this  tendency  is 
a  fadl  apparent  to  any  close  observer  of  the  manners  and  language  of 
many  of  the  young  men  who  smoke.  Bven  among  the  juniors  and  sen- 
iors in  the  colleges  of  this  country,  the  coarse,  boorish  manners  and  slang 
phrases  of  the  smokers  contrast  harshly  with  the  more  genteel  bearing 
of  those  who  have  not  become  addidled  to  the  use  of  the  weed.  The 
habit  blunts  the  sensibilities  of  its  vidlim,  and  renders  him  oblivious  of  or 
insensible  to  the  requirements  of  good  taste  and  refinement,  and  the  pref- 
erences and  conveniences  of  others. 

/.  L.  Kephart. 


PREACHING  TO    CHIIvDREN. 

Is  it  no  benefit  for  one  in  his  early  years  to  be  drawn  into  the  church, 
to  be  instrudled  in  the  Scriptures,  and  in  righteousness,  "  made  wise  unto 
salvation,"  to  be  rooted  in  the  faith,  and  to  be  trained  for  usefulness  in  the 
great  mission  of  life  ?  We  can  not  foresee  the  immense  results  in  after- 
life that  may  accrue  from  seed  sown  in  the  youthful  soil.  Who  can  tell 
but  that  among  those  little  ones  whom  we  instruct  each  Sabbath  in  the 
sandluary  there  may  be  one  who  will,  in  after -years,  rise  up  to  bless  the 
race  with  his  benedidlions  and  fill  the  earth  with  his  praise?  John  Tre- 
bonius,  a  German  professor,  always  appeared  before  his  class  with  un- 
covered head;  and  when  asked  for  an  explanation  of  his  reverence  he 
replied,  "Who  can  tell  what  may  yet  rise  up  among  these  youths?"  And 
among  the  pupils  of  the  class  was  Martin  I<uther,  that  "solitary  monk 
that  shook  the  world." 

/.    W.  Etter. 


226 


July  21. 


July  22. 


227 


th:^  dignity  of  man. 

Man  is  the  most  solemn  thing  in  the  universe  of  God.  He  is  a  sight 
for  angels  to  look  upon.  He  is  the  objecfl  of  God's  love.  The  Savior  died 
to  redeem  him.  The  Holy  Ghost  seeks  and  enlightens  him.  The  sacred 
oracles  have  been  given  to  him.  Originally  the  crown  of  universal  do- 
minion was  put  upon  his  brow.  The  divine  nature  itself  was  made  the 
pattern  of  his  creation.  Now  if  man,  as  man,  from  the  very  dignity  of 
his  nature  challenges  our  admiration  and  wonder,  how  immeasurably  yet 
sadly  grand  the  pidlure  grows  in  the  light  of  that  pitiable  ruin  in  which 
the  gospel  presents  him  to  us,  with  his  possible  restoration  to  a  life  and 
state  of  happiness  far  outmeasuring  that  in  which  he  was  created. 

JV.  Casile. 


WARNING  AGAINST  DRUNKENNESS. 

l,et  me  warn  young  men  to  dread  the  sin  of  drunkenness.  Keep  at  a 
distance  from  it,  and  avoid  all  appearances  of  it  and  approaches  to  it.  It 
has  slain  its  thousands  of  young  people,  has  ruined  their  health,  brought 
diseases  upon  them,  and  cut  them  off  in  the  flower  of  their  days.  How 
many  fall  unpitied  sacrifices  to  this  base  lust!  L,ook  not  therefore  upon 
the  wine  when  it  is  red,  and  when  it  gives  its  color  in  the  cup.  If  you  saw 
poison  put  into  the  glass  you  would  not  drink  it.  And  if  it  be  provoking  to 
God,  and  ruin  to  your  souls,  it  is  worse  than  poison.  It  is  worse  than  death. 
There  is  hell  in  the  cup!  And  will  you  not  refuse  it?  Are  you,  young 
men,  ready  to  enlist  under  the  banner  of  prohibition,  and  by  your  example 
and  teaching  save  many  from  a  drunkard's  grave  and  a  drunkard's  hell? 
You  who  have  been  well  educated,  who  have  been  brought  up  in  sober 
families,  who  have  had  an  example  of  sobriety  set  before  you,  and  have 
known  what  the  honors  and  pleasures  of  a  sober  conversation  are,  if,  when 
you  set  up  for  yourselves,  you  think  yourselves  happy  in  getting  clear 
from  the  restraints  of  a  sober  regimen,  and  take  the  liberty  of  the  tipplers 
or  drunkard,  what  a  reproach  it  will  be  to  you!  What  grief  and  sorrow  to 
your  friends!    What  degeneracy!    What  a  fall  from  your  first  principles! 

J.  J.  Glossbrenner. 

228 


July  23. 


July  24. 
Bishop  J.  J.  Glossbrenner,  D.  D.,  1813. 


229 


INDUSTRY   AND    PE;RSEVERANCE;. 

Many  hope  to  succeed  in  the  professions  or  in  business  without  patient, 
persevering  labor.  Many  are  in  haste  to  be  rich  and  are  not  satisfied  to 
await  the  results  of  the  slow  plodding  methods  of  our  fathers.  So  in  all 
the  walks  in  life,  in  every  vocation,  many  young  men  are  hoping  to  suc- 
ceed without  proving  themselves  worthy  of  success.  One  of  the  most 
striking  tendencies  of  this  age  is  a  desire  to  attain  that  which  is  wished 
for  by  one  bound.  The  cause  lies  in  the  restlessness  of  our  nation  and 
countrymen.  I,ess  energy  is  not  what  is  needed,  but  more  perseverance 
and  work.  We  must  apply  the  remedy;  and  that  remedy  is  to  learn  that 
obje(5ts  and  ends  of  real  merit  and  worth  are  not  to  be  obtained  by  a 
single  leap,  but  by  .steady  growth.  Life  is  a  field  in  which  it  is  the  duty 
and  to  the  interest  of  everj'  man  to  be  an  industrious  and  honored  worker. 
Indolence  never  led  to  anj'  real  distindlion,  nor  has  sloth  ever  opened  the 

path  to  independence  and  true  nobility. 

M.  R.  Drury. 


HOW  TO   PROVIDE   FOR  THE   CHILDREN. 

In  looking  about  to  find  places  to  economize,  do  not  begin,  first  of 
all,  with  your  children's  education.  If  you  must  furnish  them  cheaper 
clothes,  if  you  must  ask  them  to  board  themselves,  if  they  appreciate  the 
situation  they  will  gladly  make  the  sacrifices.  Cut  on  your  luxuries  — 
your  tobacco,  your  high  living,  everywhere  you  can;  but  do  not  keep  your 
children  from  school,  except  when  necessity  demands  it.  Their  school- 
days will  soon  pass.  Help  them  to  economize  their  time.  Put  a  little 
money  into  their  brains,  and  it  will  be  an  investment  which  no  panic  can 
affedl,  no  drought  destroy,  no  failure  of  banks  depress.  I  press  these 
things,  and  press  them  now,  because  now  is  the  time  when  these  ques- 
tions must  be  considered,  and  now  the  time  when  the  sacrifices  must  be 
made.  We  must  live  for  our  children  if  we  wish  them  to  make  the  most 
of  life.  If  we  by  any  mistake  of  ours  wrong  them  here,  and  blight  their 
early  lives,  a  wrong  has  been  committed  which  is  irreparable. 

•  H.  A.  Thompson. 


230 


July  25. 


July  26. 


231 


INFANTS   IN    HEAVEN. 

If  all  infants  are  saved,  and  we  must  think  so  unless  we  are  bidden  by 
the  very  highest  authority  to  think  otherwise,  then  what  an  innumerable 
company !  —  a  number  which  challenges  the  most  vivid  imagination  to 
grasp.  Allowing  one  half  of  the  human  race  to  die  in  infancy,  according 
to  the  present  population  and  mortality,  not  less  than  seventeen  hundred 
infants  die  every  hour,  forty  thousand  every  day,  five  millions  every  year. 
And  these  are  all  in  heaven  !  Transporting  thought !  Five  million  infant 
souls  enter  the  regions  of  bliss  every  year,  all  washed  in  the  blood  of  the 
I,amb,  and  robed  in  the  purest  white.  The  most  perfe(?l  ideal  of  beauty 
of  which  the  human  mind  can  conceive  is  an  infant  saved  and  glorified 
in  heaven. 

J.    Weaver. 


THE  MASSES    AND    EDUCATION. 

It  is  estimated  that  in  1930  there  will  be  a  population  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  of  100,000,000  souls.  Two  hundred  thousand  come  to  our 
shores  annually  from  other  countries.  This,  with  the  present  rate  of  in- 
crease in  our  home  population,  will  soon  give  us  200,000,000  of  immortal 
souls  to  be  fed, —  not  on  bread  alone,  but  on  the  eternal  truths  of  God. 
I,et  Imagination  stretch  her  wings  and  fly  above  the  contending  forces  of 
good  and  evil,  and  look  down  upon  the  possibilities  of  this  golden  age. 
What  holy  enthusiasm  should  such  a  view  awaken!  But  we  need  not  be 
lifted  to  the  mountain -top  to  see  the  battle  raging  between  truth  and 
error.  Indeed,  the  contest  is  going  on  in  every  human  heart.  Man  is 
destined  to  be  free;  but  freedom  is  impossible  without  a  knowledge  of 
the  truth.  Education  of  head  and  heart  is  indispensable  to  the  fullest 
grasp  of  this  truth.  Our  "civil  and  religious  liberty"  has  its  basis  in  the 
virtue  and  intelligence  of  the  ruling  classes.  The  ballot  in  the  hands  of 
the  ignorant  and  vicious  masses  endangers  the  dearest  interests  of  every 
citizen.     Is  it  not  clearly  the  duty  of  the  church  to  educate  its  children?" 

M.  S.  Drury. 

232 


July  27. 
Rev.  Phineas  B.  Lee,  D.  D.,  1844. 


July  28. 


233 


THE  DISREGARD  OF  CONSCIENCE. 

An  element  of  weakness  is  seen  in  the  manner  in  which  conscience  is 
stultified  by  treating  with  indifference  questions  relating  to  condudt  and 
heart -keeping.  Some  things  are  indefensible  in  themselves;  and  there  are 
others  upon  which  the  question  recurs  over  and  over  again,  Is  it  right? 
The  minister  is  questioned  by  the  anxious  yet  compromising  mother  about 
these  lines  of  adlion  which  are  of  doubtful  propriety.  Frequently  in  answer- 
ing these  questions,  we  are  so  anxious  to  be  broad  and  liberal  in  our  ideas, 
that  we  pass  beyond  the  line  necessary  to  be  drawn  between  the  church 
and  the  world.  Does  the  theater,  dance,  card -table,  and  the  skating-rink, 
and  similar  sources  of  amusement,  tend  to  the  glory  of  God?  Are  they 
not  all  condemned  by  that  sweeping  command,  "Whatsoever  ye  do  in 
word  or  deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord?"  Any  course  not  opposed 
by  the  word  of  God  and  the  monitions  of  conscience  should  be  condemned. 
What  is  questionable  can  not  be  right.  Religion  champions  the  good,  not 
the  questionable,  and  it  approves  what  is  truthful,  pure,  and  honorable. 

T.  D.  Adams. 

PRACTICAI,  EDUCATION. 

The  pradlical  elements  of  society  must  be  recognized.  They  present 
themselves  in  large  numbers  at  the  doors  of  colleges,  demanding  admission. 
They  desire  an  education,  but  every  study  they  take  up  is  eledted  with 
reference  to  business.  It  is  folly  to  submit  to  young  men  almost  traffic- 
mad,  a  course  of  study  nearly  one  half  of  which  is  made  up  of  Greek  and 
I^atin  authors.  What  care  they  for  Homer's  verses  or  Cicero's  orations? 
These  will  not  help  them  in  bargaining  or  to  a  better  understanding  of  the 
laws  of  trade;  but  they  can  be  readily  persuaded  that  a  knowledge  of  the 
German  and  French  will  be  of  service  to  them  in  our  complex  national 
life.  In  addition  to  this  it  is  really  questionable  whether  it  is  prudent  to 
encourage  a  student  to  study  the  Greek  and  Latin  who  has  a  positive  dis- 
taste for  them,  and  whose  prospec5tive  vocation  does  not  require  it.  The 
law  of  trade,  or  "natural  selection,"  ought  certainly  to  be  observed  in 
such  cases.  I  venture  to  preditft,  therefore,  a  more  liberal  policy  for  the 
students  of  the  future  —  one  more  in  harmony  with  the  genius  of  our 
country  and  times,  an  eledlive  policy  which  may  result  in  an  equally  pro- 
found and  certainly  a  more  varied  scholarship,  among  which  the  students 
of  the  old  and  regular  classical  course  will  probably  rank  highest,  as  in 
the  past,  while  those  of  a  more  practical  bent  will  be  more  adlive  and 
influential  in  the  business  affairs  of  life.  D.  D.  DeLong. 

234 


July  29. 


July  30. 


235 


MINISTERS  AND   MONEY  MATTERS. 

If  as  a  minister  you  seek  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  to  which  you  have 
devoted  your  life  to  make  your  finances  a  help  instead  of  a  hinderance,  there 
are  different  observations  which,  holding  everywhere,  will  aid  you.  As 
your  income  is  approximately  fixed,  your  wisdom  is  in  your  guarding  the 
side  of  expense.  "What  you  can  produce  for  your  living,  make  the  most  of 
Do  not  go  in  debt,  and  train  yourself  to  face  unimperative  wants  with 
a  dollar  in  your  pocket.  Remember  that  a  dollar  that  is  coming  will 
not  buy  all  of  a  dozen  one  -  dollar  articles.  Voluntarily  assume  hardships 
while  your  necessities  are  no  greater  rather  than  have  a  burden  placed 
upon  you  without  your  option  when  your  circumstances  may  be  less  favor- 
able. If  you  find  that  your  calculations  leave  you  short,  lessen  your 
calculations.  Do  not  deceive  yourself  by  buying  an  article  for  every  occa- 
sion; and  do  not  buy  so  much  that  under  the  name  of  plenty  you  provide 
a  cloak  for  waste.  Save  when  you  have.  Provide  a  way  so  that  when  yon 
have  a  dollar  to  spare  you  can  put  it  where  it  will  be  safe  and  become  a 
means  of  help.  If  buying  an  article  will  keep  you  from  paying  out  money 
for  something  of  which  you  will  see  nothing  to  -  morrow,  buy  the  article. 
Study  the  difference  between  that  which  goes  into  your  capital  or  permanent 
effedls  and  that  which  is  wholly  consumed.  Consult  and  enlist  your  family. 
Do  not  be  afraid  of  some  witless  person's  hinting  "premeditated  poverty." 
Try  to  express  sweetness  out  of  your  privations.  Do  not  set  out  to  vie 
with  the  vain.  Buy  nothing  in  haste,  and  take  care  of  what  you  have. 
Cultivate  that  executiveness  which  will  enable  j-ou  to  see  to  your  house- 
hold affairs  without  embarrassing  your  other  duties.  Remember  that 
nothing  is  unworthy  of  your  consideration  which  may  make  for  your  use- 
fulness, and  that  that  heart  can  not  be  quite  right  which  is  not  willing  to 
try  to  do  the  very  best  in  just  that  situation  in  which  one  is  placed  by 
the  Creator.  Lastly,  do  not  allow  these  little  attentions,  or  God's  blessing 
on  them,  to  be  an  occasion  of  injury  to  your  charadler  and  work. 

A.   W.  Drury. 


236 


July  31. 


237 


MYSTERIES   OF  DEATH. 

I  do  not  know  wliy  as  the  long  train  of  ages  glides  away,  the  sons  of 
men,  the  youth  in  life's  green  spring,  and  he  who  goes  in  the  full  strength 
of  yea^s,  the  maid,  the  infant  in  the  smiles  and  beauty  of  its  innocent  age, 
should  be  cut  off;  nor  why  a  darling  child,  whose  purity  of  life  and  sweet- 
ness of  nature  ally  it  to  the  angels,  is  suddenly  cut  down  like  a  precious 
flower  by  an  early  frost,  while  a  rude  child,  whose  vocabulary  is  the  home 
of  horrid  oaths  and  whose  life  reaches  over  the  community  like  a  plague 
in  Egypt,  grows  at  large  in  health  and  vigor;  nor  why  a  young  theological 
student  with  emaciated  frame  and  faltering  step  frets  the  street  with  his 
nervous  tread,  while  in  the  door  of  the  same  street  stands  a  man  of  large 
frame,  rosy  cheeks,  and  seemingly  complete  health,  who  is  a  saloon-keeper; 
nor  why  a  man  of  great  benefadtions  falls  like  a  field  of  grain  by  the  un- 
timely hail,  and  a  man  who  spreadeth  himself  for  himself  like  a  green 
bay- tree,  and  whose  relations  to  the  country  and  society  are  like  those  of 
a  sponge,  lives  on  in  the  questionable  glory  of  his  selfishness ;  nor  why 
Hancock,  Grant,  Garfield,  and  Lincoln  are  dead,  and  others  that  might  be 
mentioned  are  alive;  nor  why  the  sick  died  and  the  dead  were  buried,  and 
why  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist  was  brought  in  a  charger  by  a  worthless 
fellow  who  apparently  was  not  fit  to  live,  at  the  same  time  when  Jesus,  the 
great  Healer,  was  upon  the  earth.  If  we  turn  from  God  and  the  Bible,  earth's 
sorrows  still  remain,  its  cares  multiply,  our  loved  ones  sicken,  and  we  can 
point  them  to  no  Savior  to  lighten  the  gloom.  They  die,  and  we  follow 
them  to  a  godless  grave  whose  darkness  no  midday  sun  can  dispel. 

W.  M.  Beardshear 


238 


I,ET  MK  STAY  IN  HIS  PRESENCE. 

Let  me  stay  where  my  spirit  is  feasting, 
On  the  Lord's  redeeming  grace; 

Let  me  stay!  for  my  soul  cries  with  rapture, 
"Surely  God  is  in  this  place." 

Let  me  stay  where  his  presence  delights  me 

With  a  peace  beyond  control; 
Oh  the  rapturous  love  of  my  Savior 

Sweetly  glows  within  my  soul. 

Let  me  stay  in  this  union  so  perfedt, 

I  in  Christ  and  he  in  me; 
Evermore  I  would  drink  of  the  fountain 

Of  salvation,  full  and  free. 

Let  me  stay  in  the  presence  of  Jesus, 
Where  my  soul  is  sweetly  blest; 

Let  me  stay  where  my  poor,  weary  spirit 
Finds  in  Christ  its  perfedt  rest. 

/.  Baltzell. 


239 


POWER  OF  THE  invisible;. 

No  man  ever  makes  the  most  of  his  own  powers,  nor  accomplishes  the 
most  for  his  race  unless  he  has  implicit  faith  in  the  invisible;  unless  he 
possesses  that  habit  of  mind  which  keeps  the  soul  in  contact  and  com- 
munion with  the  unseen  and  distant,  the  eternal  and  divine.  It  becomes 
a  principle  of  strength;  and  no  other  incentive  has  ever  produced  such 
examples  of  energy  and  industry,  or  made  a  man  so  mighty  as  this.  It 
develops  in  him  the  highest  st5'le  of  humanity,  and  gives  him  a  more  than 
human  power.  It  brings  to  a  helpless  being  the  power  of  a  divine  nature ; 
and  he  who  thus  allies  himself  to  God  holds  in  his  hands  all  the  forces  of 

the  universe. 

H.  A.    Thompson. 


WISDOM    AGAINST  MONEY. 

Wisdom   is   superior   to   gold   because   its  benefits  embrace  two  worlds. 

Wealth,  however  valuable  here,  can  supply  no   passport  to  the  skies,  can 

secure  no    distincftion    to    its    possessor   in    the    world    to    come,  but  all  its 

advantages  will  cease  when  he  leaves  this  world.     But  religion,  while  it  is 

perfectly  adapted  to   the   present   state,  has   yet   a   direA   reference   to   the 

future  world.      Is  it  a  system  of  convidlion?   it   opens   our   eyes   to   enable 

us  to   "flee  the  wrath  to  come."      A  system  of  instrudlion?   it  is  to  make 

us  "wise  unto  salvation."      A  system  of  sandlification ?  it  is  to  enable   us 

to  escape  the  "pollution  that  is  in  the  world, "  so  we  may  be  made  "meet 

to  be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints   in  light."     A  system   of 

gracious  influences?  it  is  that  we  may  bring  forth  fruit  unto  righteousness, 

the  end  being  everlasting  life.      Now   as  heaven  is  higher  than  the  earth, 

and  eternity  more  important  than  time,  by  so  much   it   is   better  to   seek 

wisdom  than  gold. 

Alexander  Owen. 


240 


August  i. 
Rev.  C.  S.  Meily,  A.  M.,  1S50. 


August  2. 
Rev.  John  Hoobler,  1801. 


[15]  ,  241 


THE  I.ABORING-MAN. 

Have  you  ever  contemplated  the  wonders  which  a  faithful  laborer's 
life -time  may  accomplish,  and  yet  not  learned  to  respec?l  the  laboring- 
man?  I  love  to  grasp  the  hand  Of  a  man  that  has  felled  a  forest!  It 
may  be  hard,  it  may  be  rough,  but  it  is  a  true  hand,  and  /  love  it!  Yes, 
he  who  has  redeemed  a  single  acre  from  the  fertile  waste  of  nature,  and 
subjei5led  it  to  the  capacity  of  feeding  the  millions,  or  has  planted  a  tree 
from  which  posterity  may  pluck,  has  performed  a  noble  a<5t.  I  tell  you 
it  is  for  such  that  "the  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place   shall  be  glad, 

and  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

B.  R.  Hanby. 


NATIONAI,  GREATNESS. 

In  what  does  true  national  greatness  consist?  I  answer,  in  the  diffusion 
of  religious  truth  abroad;  in  the  recognition  of  divine  law  as  higher  than 
human  law;  in  making  God  our  ruler  as  citizens  as  well  as  Christians. 
And,  as  Christian  citizens,  we  must  make  those  Protean  laws  of  expediency 
yield  to  the  higher  law  of  right.  We  must  keep  party  interests  always 
subordinate  to  the  general  good.  To  this  end  we  must  vote  our  religion, 
elevating  men  to  office  who  have  the  fear  of  God  before  them  —  men  who 
are  known  for  religious  principles  as  well  as  political  integrity.  We  would 
have  every  Christian  deposit  his  vote  with  a  sense  of  his  responsibily  to  God. 

J.  Dickson. 


242 


August  3. 


August  4. 
Rev.  Henry  D.  Healy,  1835. 


243 


PA.STOR  AND   PEOPLE. 

The  true  pastor  sympathizes  with  every  burden  and  toil  and  affliftion 
of  his  people.  If  any  have  burdens  of  perplexing  care,  he  bears  a  part; 
for  he  has  upon  him  the  care  of  the  church.  If  any  are  afflidled,  he  is 
himself  afflitfted  with  them.  If  any  are  poor,  he  has  good  cause  to  sympa- 
thize with  such;  for  he  is  himself  not  above  need.  Are  any  who  hear  the 
word  of  God  at  his  lips  sick  unto  death?  Are  the  families  over  whom  he 
watches  broken  by  bereavement?  Does  he  kneel  beside  the  dying  member 
of  his  iiock?  Standing  in  the  pulpit  in  the  service,  does  he  see  in  the 
coffln  that  one  he  has  been  accvtstomed  to  see  sitting  in  the  sandtuarj^  on 
the  Sabbath  ?  Who  can  tell  the  anxiety  and  care  and  pain  of  his  heart,  in 
such  hours  of  trial  ?  Only  next  to  the  sorrow  of  such  times  is  the  ex- 
perience of  the  heart  when  any  of  his  flock  become  cold  or  walk  unrulj', 
or  are  disaffedled  toward  any  of  their  brethren,  or  alienated  from  the 
church.      There  is  no  relation  outside  the  family  circle  so  sacred  as  that 

of  a  faithful  pastor  to  his  flock. 

J.  W.  Hott. 


TWO   CHOICES. 

A  few  years  since  there  stood  upon  the  rostrum  .two  college  -  lads  to 
receive  their  degrees.  They  had  contended  manfully  for  the  mastery  in 
their  classes.  Each  went  from  his  Alma  Mater  bearing  a  parchment  of 
recognition.  The  world  was  before  them.  Rich  harvests  were  waving  on 
every  hand.  The  parents  of  each  were  proud  of  them.  The  hearts  of 
generous  friends  beat  warm  in  hope  of  their  success.  They  parted  on  that 
rostrum  never  to  meet  again  as  on  that  day.  Their  degrees  marked  the 
time  of  their  separation.  One  yielded  to  the  voice  of  Christianity,  repented, 
and  was  cleansed  from  the  power  of  sin.  He  became  a  flaming  minister 
of  the  glad  tidings.  Many  a  heart  is  stirred  to  its  inmost  recesses  when 
his  name  is  mentioned.  Generations  will  live  to  call  his  name  blessed. 
The  other  spurned  the  call  of  the  church.  He  mocked  the  prayers  of  his 
mother  and  scorned  the  advice  of  his  father.  He  closed  his  heart  to  the 
influence  of  the  Spirit,  and  nourished  in  his  soul  principles  the  most 
vicious.  He  became  a  minister  of  unrighteousness.  Many  a  soul  is  filled 
with  curses  deep  because  he  led  it  into  ruin.  Many  a  hearth -stone  is 
craped  in  mourning  because  of  the  spiritual  and  temporal  death  wrought 
by  him.      He  has  lived  to  curse  the  world,  not  to  bless  it. 

G.  P.  Macklin. 
244 


August  5. 
Rev.  Lyman  S.  Chittenden,  1819. 


August  6. 


245 


FAMILY   RELIGION. 

The  family  altar  is  a  powerful  means  of  domestic  education.  And  when 
the  children  are  gathered,  morning  and  evening,  around  this  sacred  place, 
the  parents  may  at  least  indulge  a  reasonable  hope  that  they  will  espouse 
the  fear  of  the  Lord.  In  the  daily  devotion  of  the  family  will  be  found 
powerful  means  for  building  up  a  substantial  religious  characfter.  Parents 
who  make  a  profession  of  religion,  and  fail  to  honor  God  regularily  in 
their  families,  deprive  their  children,  whether  they  be  religious  or  irre- 
ligious, of  one  of  the  most  real  and  permanent  blessings  that  the  family 

relation  can  secure. 

D.  Berger. 


A   LIBRARY  AN   INDKX   OF   CHARACTER. 

Nowhere  do  all  the  sides  of  a  man's  nature  reveal  themselves  so  fully 
as  in  his  library.  I  am  speaking  now  of  a  true  library  which  is  the  steady 
growth  of  years.  The  true  personal  library  grows  as  the  trees  grow  —  month 
by  month  and  year  by  year.  It  grows  as  the  turtle's  shell  grows,  adapting 
itself  to  the  growing  mind.  It  discloses  therefore  the  tendencies  which 
have  ruled  the  owner's  mind  and  the  subjedls  which  have  engrossed  his 
attention  at  various  times  in  his  life.  To  the  eye  that  can  read  the  record, 
it  gives  the  history  of  his  mental  development.  You  can  read  vastly  more 
of  his  personal  history  and  charaAer,  more  of  his  unrealized  ideals,  and 
more  of  his  future,  out  of  his  books  than  you  can  out  of  the  bumps  on 
his  head,  so  pregnant  with  meaning  to  the  expert  phrenologist.  The  date 
of  the  purchase  of  his  various  books,  the  amount  of  use  he  makes  of 
each,  and  other  like  fadls,  are  important  data  in  his  mental  history.  The 
manner  in  which  they  are  cared  for,  and  the  order  or  lack  of  order,  as 
the  case  may  be,  in  which  they  are  arranged,  are  significant.  The  con- 
dition of  the  margins,  whether  spotless  and  innocent  of  any  expression  of 
ideas  or  freighted  with  suggestive  refledlions  upon  the  author's  thought, 
is  often  an  open  revelation  of  charadler. 

E.  S.  Lorenz. 

246 


August  7. 
Rev.  Levi  Moore,  1823. 


August  8. 
Rev.  Joshua  Cecil,  1829. 


247 


GETTYSBURG. 

The  battle  of  Gettysburg  has  been  considered  as  the  turning  -  point  in  the 
war;  for  from  it  the  ultimate  failure  of  the  rebellion  was  assured.  And  as 
that  battle  was  the  culminating  crisis  of  the  war,  so  the  last  great  effort 
of  I^ee,  when  he  hurled  twenty  thousand  of  his  choicest  troops  against  the 
Union  line,  was  the  supreme  crisis  of  the  battle,  and  also  of  the  country's 
history.  The  rebellion  at  that  point  reached  its  high -water  mark,  and 
from  that  on  the  waters  steadily  receded.  That  charge  then  was  the  turn- 
ing -  point  of  hi.story  and  human  destiny.  It  failed,  and  with  its  failure 
was  demonstrated  the  fadt  that  a  government  founded  upon  oppression  and 
wrong  could  not  succeed  in  the  advanced  light  and  civilization  of  this  age, 
and  the  shadow  be  made  thereby  to  go  backward  upon  the  dial  of  human 
progress.     The  Republic  was  "saved,  redeemed,  baptized,  and  consecrated 

anew  to  the  coming  ages." 

/.  Hoke. 


THE   I.IQUOR  -  TRAFFIC  HUMBUG. 

The  entire  liquor -traffic  exists  to -day  for  the  benefit  alone  of  some  few 
hundred  thousand  rum  -venders  and  manufacturers,  while  the  entire  residue 
of  the  fifty  millions  of  the  nation  are  groaning  under  the  vast  burden 
of  this  gigantic  usurper  and  tyrant.  This  small  number  of  liquor- 
dealers  are  so  deluding  the  masses  of  the  people  as  to  make  them  be- 
lieve that  the  traffic  is  absolutely  useful  and  necessary,  and  that  the 
whole  fabric  of  the  commercial  world  would  crumble  into  ruin  if  the 
traffic  were  destroyed,  when  the  facfts  are  that  if  the  entire  business  were 
annihilated  in  twenty  -  four  hours  not  a  single  person  outside  of  the  circle 
of  rum  -  dealers  would  be  harmed  a  single  farthing;  and  they,  in  fa(5l, 
would  be  infinitely  better  off.  And  still  the  people  of  this  country  endure 
this  unparalleled  humbug.  If  the  traffic  were  simply  a  useless  thing  it 
might  be  endured;  but  viewing  it  from  the  stand -point  of  its  destrudtive- 
ness,  the  heart  grows  sick,  and  the  moral  sensibilities  are  shocked.  It 
pervades  the  whole  social  body,  corrupting  habits  of  virtue  and  thrift, 
destroying  industry,  begetting  a  vicious  and  spendthrift  spirit,  and  pro- 
ducing poverty,  pauperism,  vagabondage,  and  crime.  Was  there  ever  a 
greater  humbug? 

W.  S.  Titus. 


August  9. 


August  10. 


249 


ivOVK  OF  fre;edom. 

It  is  manifest  that  there  can  be  no  uplifting  of  the  faculties,  no  un- 
folding of  the  higher  and  better  qualities  of  our  being  when  the  feeling 
of  self-reliance  is  either  wanting  or  in  any  wa}'  trammeled  in  its  legiti- 
mate adtion.  Dryden  has  said,  "Freedom  is  the  first  delight  of  human 
kind."  It  is,  indeed,  the  key-note  to  civilization,  refinement,  culture.  It 
is  almost  the  only  thing  that  gives  vital  energy  to  heart  and  life.  Feeble 
human  nature  needs  the  inspiration  of  high  hope,  and  must  have  it  or 
sink  under  the  weight  of  its  ignorance  and  vices.  Nor  are  young  people 
exceptions  to  this  rule.  This  is  known  to  all  those  who  have  had  any- 
thing to  do  in  the  responsible  work  of  their  government  and  education. 

L.  Davis. 


POWER  "OF  GODIvINESS. 

It  is  easy  to  go  into  debt  for  fine  houses,  fine  furniture,  or  fine  cos- 
tumes, and  in  this  way  live  on  the  hard  earnings  of  others,  but  to  earn 
a  living  in  the  pursuit  of  some  honest  occupation  and  pay  honest  debts 
is  not  quite  so  easj'.  So  is  it  easy  to  give  our  names  to  the  church,  attend 
to  ceremonies,  and  give  a  little  money  to  some  of  her  benevolent  insti- 
tutions, but  to  pray  without  ceasing,  to  crucify  the  flesh,  to  press  into  the 
kingdom  of  God,  to  wrestle  with  principalities  and  powers,  will  require 
some  of  the  power  of  our  holy  religion.  The  form  does  not  forbid  the 
gratification  of  the  flesh  —  it  is  the  power  that  would  press  against  wind 
and  tide,  that  would  contend  with  the  elements  of  all  the  evil  propensi- 
ties of  the  heart. 

L.  Davis ^  185 1. 


250 


August  ii. 


August  12. 
Rev.  Samuel  A.  Mowers,  1840. 


251 


the;  measure  of  the  man. 

He  who  expe(?ls  to  measure  his  worth  by  dollars  and  cents  has  cooped 

his  soul  in  a  silver  dollar,  and  if  he  don't  get  out  of  there  he  is  danger  of 

hell -fire.      No   material   standard  can   properly  measure   the  worth   of  the 

energies  of  an  immortal  spirit.     England  pays  her  qneen  tens  of  thousands 

a  year;    but  a  million  dollars  annually  can  not  be  an  equivalent  for  the 

labors  of  a  faithful  teacher,  an  efficient  minister,  a  good  housewife,  or  an 

honest  toiler  in  life's  broad  vineyard.     The  slave  who  was   asked  by  a 

kind-hearted  prospective  master  if  he  would  be  honest  if  he  should  buy 

him,  replied,    "I  will  be  honest  whether  you  buy  me  or  not."      What  a 

worthy  motto  for  every  statesman  and  minister  of  God  in  our  land  !     God 

will  always  reward  personal  integrity. 

IF.  M.  Beardskmir. 


KINDLINESS   OF  SPIRIT. 

* 

Brotherly -kindness  is  a  jewel  of  rare  beauty.  It  shines  out  in  the 
words  and  aAs  of  all  who  have  the  mind  and  spirit  of  Christ.  It  goes  to 
the  erring  ones,  takes  them  by  the  hand,  and  in  words  of  tenderness  says, 
"Come  this  way,  my  brother."  It  will  go  to  those  whom  it  may  think  to 
be  in  error,  and  say,  "Sit  down,  and  let  us  reason  together."  Is  this  not 
in  harmony  with  the  language  of  Paul  —  "If  a  man  be  overtaken  in  a 
fault,  ye  which  are  spiritual  restore  such  a  one  in  the  spirit  of  meek- 
ness?" Evil  of  whatever  sort  should  be  met  firmly,  but  not  rashly.  The 
erring  ones  should  be  met  firmly,  but  kindly.  "Good  words  do  more  than 
hard  speeches,  as  the  sunbeams,  without  any  noise,  will  make  the  traveler 
cast  off  his  coat,  which  all  the  blustering  winds  could  not  do,  but  only 
make  him  bind  it  closer  to  him."     "  I,et  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  also 

was  in  Christ  Jesus." 

J.  Weaver. 


252 


August  13. 


August  14. 


253 


THE  PUI.PIT  AND   RE;VIVAI,S. 

Preaching  is  the  greatest  human  faAor  in  revivals  of  religion.  In  the 
kingdom  of  nature  there  is  no  fru(5lification  until  the  life -germ  is  brought 
in  contadt  with  nature's  forces;  so  in  the  kingdom  of  our  blessed  I<ord. 
In  order  that  the  Spirit  may  indu6l  a  soul  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
through  a  supernatural  begetment  and  spiritual  birth,  it  becomes  indis- 
pensable that  the  truth,  as  the  incorruptible  seed  of  regeneration,  be 
brought  by  a  living  ministry  in  contadl  with  the  mind,  heart,  conscience, 
and  will.  Hence  the  importance  of  well  -  directed  effort  in  the  pulpit  in 
order  to  secure  a  genuine  revival.  The  preacher  who  will  be  successful  in 
reviving  his  church  and  saving  the  people,  if  I  mistake  not,  must  hold  up 
Christ  as  the  Savior  of  a  dying  world,  and  that,  too,  in  a  way  so  as  to 
impress  the  people  that  the  cross  Has  lost  none  of  its  ancient  power,  and 
that  he  who  looks  lives. 

E.  B.  Kephart. 


HOME   INFLUENCE   OF    WOMEN. 

The  establishing  of  homes  on  earth  is  the  work  of  God's  own  hands. 
Earth  without  them  to  mankind  would  be  a  weary  waste.  No  position 
which  women  are  called  to  fill  is  so  responsible  and  so  fraught  with  im- 
portant results  as  is  the  position  she  occupies  in  her  own  home.  She 
may  discharge  her  duty  to  those  destitute  of  the  gospel  in  foreign  lands, 
and  to  those  in  her  own  state  and  community,  yet  if  she  fails  to  discharge 
her  duty  to  her  own  household  she  fails  to  meet  the  obligations  which 
God  and  society  have  placed  upon  her.  Upon  the  home  duties  and  home 
obligations  of  Christian  women  depend  largely  the  existence  of  nations 
and  the  prosperity  and  perpetuity  of  the  church.  From  the  many  homes 
of  earth  go  forth  the  influences  that  bless  or  curse  the  world.  Woman's 
strength  lies  in  her  influence,  and  if  she  properly  wield  it  she  may  be  the 
prime  agent  in  the  regeneration  of  mankind.  In  her  own  home  a  woman 
has  an  empire  of  her  own;  and  happy  is  she  who  so  guides  and  governs 
it  as  to  bring  it  into  subjedtion  to  all  the  virtues  and  graces  which  adorn 

an  intelligent  and  Christian  people. 

Mrs.  A.  R.  Kiracofe. 

254 


August  15. 
Bishop  Andrew  Zeller,  1755.        Rev.  Wm.  J.  Pruner,  D.  D.,  1839. 


August  16. 


255 


CHARACTER  AND   USEFULNESS. 

Important  as  is  the  work  of  educating  the  intelleA,  important  as  is  a 
knowledge  of  natural  science,  mathematics,  the  classics,  philosophy,  the 
education  of  the  religious  and  spiritual  nature  of  man,  and  a  thorough  and 
minute  knowledge  of  the  word  of  revelation  —  of  the  science  of  God  — 
of  immeasurably  greater  importance.  Though  we  admire  the  scholar,  we 
admire  the  good  man  more.  We  may  respe5l  learning  and  genius,  but  we 
love  goodness  of  heart  and  purity  of  character.  We  may  fear  the  great, 
but  we  reverence  the  good.  However  bright  and  cultured  the  intelledl,  it 
is  the  condition  of  the  heart  which  gives  us  chara6ler,,  which  fits  us  for 
truest  usefulness  in  this  life  and  for  glory  in  the  life  to  come. 

J.  P.  Landis. 


RIGHTFULNESS   OF   GAIN. 

It  is  rather  the  fault  of  the  many  who  always  remain  poor,  that  wealth 

is  so  unequally  distributed — rather  this  than  their  misfortune  or  the  crime 

of  the  wealthy  few.      If  each  individual  would  only  reap  the  field  of  his 

own  opportunities,  there  would  not  be  so  many  overgrown  fortunes,  so  many 

castles  and  palaces  standing  to  mock  the  surrounding  poverty.      But  what 

man  can  accuse  his  neighbor  who  only  gleans  where  he  himself  disdains 

to  gather?     In  one  sense  there  is  just  so  much  success  in  the  world,  and 

he-  who  does  not  put  forth  his  hand  for  his  share  adds  by  so  much  to  the 

fortune  of  those  who  are  awake   to  their  interests  and  opportunities.     If 

any  one  persists  in  regarding  the  avenues  of  business  with  doubting  eyes, 

let  him  look  to  the  reasons  for  the  view  he  takes. 

A.  W.  Drury. 


256 


August  17. 
Rev.  W.  H.  Lanthum,  1S28. 


August  18. 


[16]  25; 


GIVING  TO  COLLEGES. 

Daily  we  pray,  "Thy  kingdom  come."  To  train  men  and  women  under 
Christian  influences  for  lives  of  usefulness  will  bring  an  answer  to  that 
prayer.  You  would  regard  those  with  pity  who  should  say,  "Give  us  this 
day  our  daily  bread,"  and  refuse  or  negledl  to  plow  and  sow.  God  has 
blessed  some  with  means.  How  much  better  to  devote  at  least  a  part  of 
that  good  to  the  cause  of  Christian  education  than  to  leave  it  for  children 
or  other  relatives   to   quarrel  over  and  spend   in  lawing  or  extravagance. 

R.  J.  White. 


GETHSEMANR. 

Do  I  indeed  stand  in  this  garden  of  unutterable  sorrow  of  my  Lord! 
The  shadows  of  the  mystic  and  eternal  steal  over  my  heart.  I  am  melted 
down  with  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  transformed  and  transported  by 
the  fellowship  of  Jesus.  It  was  here  that  "he  came  out  as  he  was  wont, 
to  the  mount  of  Olives,"  unto  a  place  called  Gethsemane;  and  though  he 
had  just  comforted  his  disciples  with  that  deep,  loving,  wonderful  dis- 
course, beginning,  "Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,"  and  followed  it  with 
that  prayer  of  all  prayers,  yet  here  he  "began  to  be  sore  amazed,  and  to 
be  very  heavy."  Here  there  is  an  appeal  to  the  heart  which  no  pidlure 
and  no  words  can  produce  or  even  represent.  I  never  felt  the  overpower- 
ing agony  of  Jesus  in  its  impressions  on  my  own  heart  as  when  standing 
speechless  near  the  spot  of  that  awful  night -anguish  of  soul. 

/.  W.  Hott. 


258 


August  19. 


August  20. 


259 


IN  CHRIST. 

All  who  expec?l  to  live  with  Christ  in  the  home  he  has  gone  to  prepare 

must  expedt  to  be  very  much  like  him.      The  resurrecflion   will   make   our 

bodies   very  much  like  his  glorious  body;    but   the    soul   must    find  that 

moral  or   spiritual   likeness  this  side  of  the  resurredtion.      Here  and  now 

we  may  be  so  united  to  him  as  to  be  in  him  and  he  in  us.     We  are  here 

and  now  to  be  partakers  of  the  divine  nature.      All  this  grows   out  of  the 

one  great  thought — "in  Christ."      What  a  blessed  security.      In  Christ   is 

peace,  joy,  and  consolation.     In  him  is  solid  comfort.     In  him  is  hope.     In 

him  is  safety.      He  is  all  and  in   all.      The   church   and  the  world  should 

hear  more  about  Christ.      Take  him  away,  and  all   is  gone.      No  hope,  no 

joy,  no  peace,  no  heaven.      Take  him  away,  and  nothing  remains  but  the 

blackness  of  darkness  forever. 

J.  Weaver. 


HOME   INFIvUENCE. 

The  homes  of  America  are  the  nurseries  of  the  nation's  relation  and 
patriotism,  its  moral  and  national  hope.  As  the  homes  are,  such  will  the 
nation  be,  as  the  youths  therein  must  receive,  to  a  large  degree,  that  edu- 
cation and  bent  of  mind  that  will  diredt  them  in  all  after-life.  The  piety 
and  spiritual  force  of  the  church  will  be  the  immediate  outgrowth  of  family 
religion;  and  the  mothers  of  the  land  hold  a  greater  power  in  their  hands 
than  any  other  class  of  persons,  which,  if  wielded  for  the  right,  will  irre- 
sistibly mold  our  future  religious  success.  Out  of  the  groups  in  these 
sacred  centers  must  come  the  patriots  and  apostles  that  will  preserve  the 
nation  and  our  glorious  Christianity,  as  well  as  to  enlarge  and  increase 
the  power  of  each.  Pure  religion,  here  taught  and  examplified,  will  suc- 
cessfully withstand  all  the  assaults  that  may  be  brought  against  it,  how- 
ever fierce,  malicious  and  long -continued.  Young  men  and  women 
emerging  from  these  holy  places  into  the  busy  cares  and  temptations  of  a 
wicked  world  will  be  followed  by  a  silent  influence  which  will  be  like 

ointment  upon  their  heads  as  long  as  they  live. 

B.  F.  Booth. 

260 


August  21. 

August  22. 

M7n.??t<aiLoAL/hi 

261 

A    HAPPY   KXPERIENCE. . 

"I,ike  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  I,ord  pitieth  them  that 
fear  him."  Why  is  this  symbol  so  frequently  employed  in  the  Scriptures, 
and  so  tenderly  enjoined  by  the  Savior  in  the  prayer  he  taught  his  dis- 
ciples, if  it  does  not  mean  all  it  represents?  And  why  may  not  I,  not- 
withstanding my  afB.i<5lion  and  weakness,  claim  what  the  relation  implies  ? 
Soon,  as  in  all  former  experiences,  confidence  in  the  word  of  God  began 
to  increase.  I^ight,  peace,  comfort,  and  joy  followed.  Gradually,  steadily, 
these  precious  influences  increased,  until  mj'  despondency  and  gloom 
were  gone.  I  felt  that  my  aching,  throbbing  head  was  pillowed  upon  a 
Father's  heart;  and  everlasting  arms  pressed  me  to  his  loving  bosom. 

/.  Hoke. 


THE   MOTHER'S   POWER. 

The  family  is  the  oldest  and  most  important  institution  in  the  world; 
for  as  the  creator  is  more  than  the  creature,  the  fountain  more  than  the 
stream,  the  seed  more  than  the  plant,  so  the  family  is  more  than  the 
church  or  the  state.  It  is  a  little  world  in  itself.  And  here  is  woman's 
empire  —  not  on  royal  thrones,  nor  legislative  halls,  nor  rostrum,  but  in 
this  sanSluin  sanHorum,  home,  sweet  home.  Here  is  the  secret  of  her 
power.  Here  is  where  she  sways  her  scepter  over  the  world;  for  "she 
that  rocks  the  cradle  rules  the  world."  After  all  our  talk  about  man- 
power, we  must  nevertheless  acknowledge  that  our  mothers  are  our  rulers. 
Their  boys  will  be  our  preachers,  bishops,  legislators,  governors,  presidents; 
and  they  will  be  just  what  their  mothers  make  them  at  home.  What 
woman  would  not  prefer  the  honor  of  Washington's  or  Wesley's  mother 
to  the  glory  of  England's  queen? 

/.    ]V.  Etter. 


262 


August  23. 


August  24. 


263 


MANUNBSG. 

Be  a  man.  This  expresses  all  that  is  possible  to  us  as  men.  We  can 
not  be  gods  and  we  can  not  be  angels.  If  we  will  only  be  men,  true  me^i, 
we  shall  fulfill  our  mission  here.  Our  duty  is  a  present  duty.  Many  people 
are  chiefly  concerned  about  the  future — their  future  good  and  future  happi- 
ness. If  we  will  attend  to  present  duty  well,  we  need  give  ourselves  no 
uneasiness  about  the  future.  God  will  take  care  of  that.  Yet  present  duty 
and  fidelity  to  present  opportunities  have  an  indissoluble  connedlion  with 
the  future,  so  that  if  we  are  true  to  our  highest  present  interests,  we  are 
thereby  the  most  certainly  providing  for  our  highest  future  interests.  This 
is  the  part  of  a  man,  to  be  true  to  present  duties  and  opportunities,  or,  we 
might  say,  to  be  true  to  one's  self;  for  he  that  is  true  to  himself  can  not 

be  false  to  God  or  man. 

J.  P.  Landis. 


INFINITE   RICHES  IN  CHRIST. 

The  Queen  of  Sheba  in  her  visit  to  Solomon  brought  one  hundred  and 
twenty  talents  of  gold,  in  our  currency  probably  over  three  millions  of 
dollars,  precious  stones  whose  number  and  value  are  not  estimated,  and 
of  spices  so  great  an  amount  that  there  came  not  again  such  an  abundance 
during  all  the  days  of  .Solomon.  This  was  her  offering  to  the  prince  who 
reigned  in  so  much  grandeur  in  Jerusalem.  When  she  had  seen  all  the 
king's  glory,  and  had  given  expression  of  her  amazement  at  the  splendor 
and  magnificence  of  his  appointments,  and  before  she  took  her  departure, 
it  came  her  time  to  ask  for  royal  presents.  Of  all  the  costly  and  splendid 
things  she  saw,  she  asked  for  whatever  her  heart  craved,  and  the  king 
gave  her  according  to  all  her  desire.  Then  to  this  he  freely  superadded 
other  gifts  according  to  the  greatness  of  his  own  royal  bounty.  And  so, 
laden  with  the  abundance  of  the  generosity  of  the  richest  prince  on  the 
earth,  she  returned  again  to  her  home  in  her  own  distant  land.  After  a 
manner  something  like  this  the  Christian  comes  to  his  King,  bringing  such 
offerings  as  may  be  in  his  power.  And  bringing  these  he  is  entitled  to  ask 
for  whatever  his  heart  desires.  And  the  great  Sovereign,  bestowing  out  of 
his  infinite  bounty,  sends  him  away  laden  with  riches  such  as  no  human 
estimate  can  measure.  D.  Berger. 

264 


August  25. 
Rev.  John  W.  Kiracofe,  1841.        Rev.  T.  D.  Adams,  1844. 


August  26. 


265 


THE  MINISTER'S  WORK. 

We  want  men  who  can  grapple  with  the  great  evils  of  the  times  and 
work  mightily  for  the  Master;  men  of  large  views  and  deep] sympathies; 
in  a  word,  men  of  intellect  and  heart.  We  must  learn  more  perfedtly  how 
to  take  hold  of  a  brother,  degraded,  and  lift  him  up  into  a  noble  man- 
hood. The  work  of  a  preacher  is  not  technical,  narrow,  and  confined.  No, 
no,  it  is  as  broad  as  human  wants.  It  takes  hold  of  man  as  man,  and  all 
that  there  is  of  him.  It  seeks  to  make  the  body  a  fit  temple  for  the  in- 
dwelling of  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  bring  the  intelledt,  the  will,  and  the  sensi- 
bilities into  perfe(5l  harmony  with  God's  will  and  heart  of  love,  to  draw 
out,  expand,    and   strengthen   man's    spiritual   and   devotional   nature   into 

the  love  of  God. 

L.  Davis,  187 1. 


SUCCESS   BY  PRAYER. 

A  man  in  ascending  a  mountain  must  go  against  the  law  of  gravitation; 
he  must  lift  himself  up  step  by  step.  So  if  we  come  to  God  we  must 
press  against  the  natural  difficulties  that  surround  us,  until  we  get  where 
we  can  stand  on  the  mount  of  God.  We  must  take  time  to  pray.  "Have 
not  time  to  pray."  Your  famil}'  cares  and  business  so  pressing  that  you 
haven't  time  to  pray  ?  Why,  those  who  are  the  most  busy  have  the  most 
need  of  prayer.  L,uther  said  when  he  had  .so  much  to  do,  "I  can  not  get 
along  without  three  hours'  prayer  a  day."  That  is  the  way  to  succeed  in 
business.  To  get  along  rapidly,  ask  God  to  assist  you  in  your  business. 
I  tell  3'ou  men  get  along  better  in  all  temporal  affairs  who  take  time  to 
pray  and  read  God's  blessed  book.  There  is  nothing  that  pays  better  than 
prayer. 

D.  Edwards,  1867. 


266 


August  27. 


August  28. 


267 


PREVAIUNG  PRAYER. 

"Ask  and  ye  shall  receive."  Man  can  prevail  with  God.  He  suffers 
man  to  lay  hold  of  him,  to  wrestle  with  him,  even  till  he  overcomes  and 
obtains  the  desire  of  his  heart.  Let  ministers  weep  between  the  porch 
and  the  altar;  let  every  Christian  flee  to  his  closet,  and  there  plead,  first 
for  himself,  until  he  feels  the  burden  of  the  I,ord,  until  his  stubborn  heart 
is  melted  and  runs  out  after  souls,  and  then  let  him  present  before  the 
throne  of  God  the  state  of  the  church,  its  unbelief,  lukewarmness,  worldli- 
ness,  and  want  of  love.  Let  no  one  suppose  such  a  state  of  mind  can  be 
obtained  without  effort. 

D.  Edwards, 


A  COSTLY   OFFERING. 

A  poor  pious  woman  had  received  the  last  farewell  of  her  only  darling 
boy,  a  little  distance  from  New  York  City,  who  had  turned  his  heart  to 
a  foreign  mission  as  the  field  of  labor  to  which  God  indicated  it  to  be  his 
duty  to  enter.  When  her  darling  boy  had  gone  from  her  desolate  home  — 
for  it  was  desolate  for  her  to  be  there  without  him  she  loved  so  well— she 
did  not  for  a  moment  regret  her  offering  to  God,  though  one  so  valued  by 
her  heart;  but  still  she  would  watch  him  to  the  last.  Just  when  the  mis- 
sionaries were  to  take  passage  aboard  the  vessel,  one  of  the  missionary 
secretaries  observed  a  woman  standing  alone,  with  hot  tears  streaming 
down  over  her  cheeks.  He  stepped  softly  to  her  and  asked  the  cause  of 
her  tears.  She  pointed  to  the  tall  young  man  among  the  missionaries, 
and  said,  "That  is  my  only  boy.  Upon  his  arm  I  had  hoped  to  lean;  but 
God  wants  him.  I  have  come  to  watch  him  to  the  last  moment,  and  to 
pray  for  him,  but  not  to  prevent  his  going."     That  was  a  costly  offering. 

J.  W.  Hott. 


268 


August  29. 
Rev.  John  Kemp,  Jr.,  1813. 


AtTGTJST  30. 
Rev.  O.  F.  Smith,  i8?4. 


269 


THE   BATTI.E   AND   THE  VICTORY. 

Not  a  week,  not  a  day,  yea,  scarcely  an  hour  of  our  lives  passes,  but  we 
experience  somewhat  of  this  struggle.  Satan  assails  us  in  a  thousand  dif- 
ferent ways.  There  are  "  fightings  without  and  fears  within. "  The  passions 
and  appetites  clamor  for  gratification.  Conscience,  the  magnet  of  the  soul, 
ever  pointing  to  the  throne  of  God,  forbids  the  indulgence.  The  moral 
dispositions  are  fiercely  beleagured  by  the  evil  propensities.  Evil  desires 
rise  up  from  within,  and  must  be  subdued.  Inducements  to  error  from 
without,  present  themselves  and  must  be  battled  with.  And  this  state  of 
things  is  experienced  almost  hourly.  As  to  the  final  result  of  this  strug- 
gle there  cau  be  no  question.  If  God  is  God,  the  right  must  win. 
"For  right  ts  right  since  God  is  God; 

And  right  the  day  must  win; 
To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty, 

To  falter  would  be  siu." 
True,  sin  is  powerful,  but  God  is  almighty,  and  with  a  potent  arm  will 
wield  his  moral  forces  until  the  devil  skulks  away  into  hell,  ashamed  to 
even  show  his  head  again,  and  the  last  sinner  on  earth  is  converted  or 
destroyed.  All  the  tendencies  of  virtue,  though  now  in  confli(5l,  are 
toward  supremacy.  -As  the  ele(5tric  current  completes  its  journey  over  the 
whole  length  of  the  condudlor,  thotigh  that  conductor  pass  over  sandy 
deserts  or  through  the  chambers  of  the  deep,  encircling  the  world,  so 
virtue,  having  gained  a  lodgment  in  the  heart,  in  the  community,  in  the 
nation,  tends  to  disseminate  itself  through  the  whole  man,  the  whole 
community,  the  whole  nation,  to  the  complete  annihilation  nf  all  wicked- 
ness. Its  course  is  onward,  and  in  its  advance  it  gains  strength.  L,ike 
as  a  stone  in  a  sling  when  it  is  made  to  revolve  accumulates  momentum, 
that  when  it  fly  it  goes  with  redoubled  velocity,  so  virtue  as  it  advances 
gains  strength  and  velocity,  until  it  will  finally  make  its  last  giant  effort, 
and  with  one  fell  swoop,  rid  the  world  of  eveiy  system  of  vice.  It  may 
require  time  to  reach  this  result.  But  God  has  an  eternity  of  time  before 
him,  and  we  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  he  will  ever  forsake  his  cause 
or  abandon  his  purpose   until  he  has  "put  all  things  under  his  feet." 

/.  L.  Kepliart. 


270 


August  31. 
Rev.  Morgan  S.  Drury,  1826. 


271 


Like  the  grave  which  always    swallows    and    is  never  filled,  are  the 

hearts  of  the  unconverted. 

J.  Russell. 

A  distillery  is  as  certain  to  raise  up  drunkards  around  it,  as  are   saw- 
dust and  stagnant  water  to  produce  flees  and  frogs. 

Wm.  R.  Rinehart,  iSt,^. 

No  one  can  doubt  that  the  liquor  -  dealers  are  ready  to  bring  any  dis- 
aster on  our  country,  rather  than  give  up  their  nefarious  business. 

Mj'S.  a.  L.  Billheimer. 

In  looking  back  I  see  where   I  might   have  done  better  service;   but  I 

console  myself  with  this   thought,   that  I  always  endeavored  to  bring  an 

honest  heart  to  the  work. 

Jacob  Erb. 

There  is  no  better  way  of  preventing  strife  and  division  in  a  church, 

or    curing    it  where    already  existing,   than   a(5tive,    earnest  work    for  the 

salvation  of  the  perishing. 

/.  Hoke. 

What  thought  can  be  more  stimulating,    can  more  nerve    Christians  to 

labor,  can  more  intensify  our  religious  aAivity  than  this  ?  —  everything  we 

do  for  our  Master  hastens  his  coming. 

John  Hayiuood. 

If  we  fail  to  enter  into  that  rest  that  remains  for  the  people  of  God, 

who  can  estimate  the  irreparable  loss  we  will  sustain?      Ah!  the   rolling 

years  of  eternity  will  never  solve  the  problem. 

W.  J.  Pruner. 

The   college   is   indispensable.     It  is  absolutely  essential.     The  church 

can  not  face  this  nineteenth  century  and  take  hold  of  the  work  unless  the 

colleges  are  well  sustained.     They  must  supply  the  needed  workers  that 

can  go  out  strong  to   do  battle   for  the   Lord.     This  counsel  ought  to  be 

impressed  throughout    the  church  in  thunder -tones. 

H.  Car  St. 


The  days  that  are  yet  to  be. 

Over  the  distant  hill -tops, 

Nearer  the  silent  sea, 
O'er  whose  calm  the  phantom  ferryman 

Passes  unceasingly, 
There  lies  a  vision  of  brightness:  — 

The  days  that  are  yet  to  be. 

Full  of  the  tropic  splendor 

Of  a  never -clouded  sun, 
Rich  in  deep  contentment 

From  past  denial  won, 
We  think  of  it  when  the  day  begins, 

And  when  the  day  is  done. 

And  oft  where  the  skies  are  darkest 

And  clouds  rise  threateningly. 
We  turn  to  the  calm  beyond  the  hills 

Waiting  for  you  and  me, 
And  comfort  our  hearts  with  the  promise  of 

The  days  that  are  yet  to  be. 


Maud  {Mary  A.  Share). 


273 


THE   USE   OF  TAI^ENTS. 

There  is  just  as  much  promised  to  those  who  have  but  one  talent  as  to 

those  who  have  five.     The  reward  is  not  given  according  to  the  number  of 

talents,  but  according  to  the  use  made  of  them.     It  is  not  the  great  things 

which   men  do  which  glorify  the  Savior,   but  the   aggregate   of  the  little 

a(?ts  and  deeds  of  a  devoted  life.     These  honor  him.     "He  that  serveth 

me,  him  will  my  Father  honor."     "He  that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is 

least  will  be  faithful  also  in  that  which  is  greatest."     It  will  be  safe  to 

say  that  as  a  rule  those  who  refuse  to  do  what  they  are  called  to  do,  and 

are  capable  of  doing,  would  dishonor  God  did  they  possess  the  coveted 

talents,  means,  and  position  of  others. 

J.  L.  Luttrell. 


THE   POWER  OF  A   HOI.Y   WFE. 

What  a  power  a  holy  life  is.  It  is  an  argument  in  favor  of  the  Bible 
and  all  its  teachings;  it  is  salt  to  preserve  the  better  state  of  society;  it  is 
a  light,  bright  and  shining,  in  this  dark  world,  by  which  many  wanderers 
are  brought  into  places  of  safety;  it  is  an  elevator  by  which  multitudes 
are  being  lifted  out  of  a  horrible  pit  and  miry  clay,  and  placed  upon  a 
rock,  high  and  elevated.  The  more  lives  of  this  charadler  the  church  has 
the  more  power  to  elevate,  to  enlighten,  to  preserve  in  purity  and  from 
decay,  and  to  save.  As  the  church  is  in  her  individuality,  so  is  she  in 
her  unit.  Every  member  of  the  church  should  feel  his  responsibility  to 
her,  and  seek  to  attain  the  highest  degree  of  usefulness,  by  securing  all 
the  elements  of  strength  it  is  possible  to  possess  in  this  life.  Do  we  pos- 
sess them?     If  not,  will  we  seek  them? 

B.  G.  Hubej. 


274 


September  i. 
Rev.  Christian  B.  Sherk,  1839. 


September  2. 


275 


GROWTH    OF   CHRISTIANITY. 

Christianity  is  gaining  more  favor  each  day.  It  is  making  inroads 
everywhere.  India,  China,  and  Japan  are  bowing  at  the  cross.  Pagan- 
ism, Brahmanism,  and  Confucianism  are  gasping  in  agony.  ^England, 
which  only  a  century  ago  was  under  the  dominion  of  infidelity,  has  been 
liberated  from  her  anti  -  Christ  through  the  vigorous  writings  of  Butler 
and  Goldwin.  Uverything  is  hopeful.  Christianity  is  becoming  stronger. 
More  people  listen  to  the  gospel  now  than  ever.  During  the  past  ten 
years  the  membership  of  the  church  has  increased  twenty -seven  per  cent. 
To-day  there  are  more  Bibles,  more  Christians,  more  Sunday-school  chil- 
dren, more  teachers,  more  sermons,  and  more  spiritual  songs  than  ever 
there  were  on  any  Sabbath  since  the  light  of  the  sun  dawned  on  the 
garden  of  Eden. 

/.    W.  Etter. 


CHILDREN   IN   COIvI^EGE. 

Fathers  and  mothers,  frequently  write  to  your  children  while  in  college. 
No  matter  how  pleasant  may  be  the  circumstances  surrounding  them,  or 
how  helpful  the  people  whom  they  meet,  the  transition  from  the  atmos- 
phere of  home  to  that  of  a  strange  place  is  a  sudden  one.  A  new  world 
opens  up  before  them.  Hitherto  they  have  been  helped  and  guarded  by 
older  heads  than  their  own.  Do  not  thrust  them  away  so  far  that  they 
will  lose  hold  of  your  hand.  Let  them  know  that  not  a  day  passes  with- 
out a  thought  of  them;  that  daily  sacrifices  are  made  for  their  welfare; 
that  their  success  will  be  your  joy,  and  their  failure  your  disgrace.  Many 
a  boy  is  restrained  from  bad  conduct  by  the  strong  yet  tender  cords  of  a 

mother's  love. 

H.  A.  Thoni-pson. 


276 


September  3. 


September  4. 


277 


TO  YOUNG  MINISTERS. 

Instru<5l,  brethren,  by  every  power  and  by  all  means,  and  at  all  hazards. 

Please,  if  you  can,  but  be  sure  you  leave  your  people  on  a  higher  plane 

of  knowledge  than  you  found  them.     Christ  said  to  Peter,  "Feed  my  lambs 

and  my  sheep,"  not  call  them  pet  name.s.     Your  business  is  to  instruct,  not 

to  make  people  weep,  nor  even   to  preach   big  sermons.      Go  to  yonder 

shop  and  you  will  see  where  once  they  put  on  the  tires  bj^  heating  and 

welding.       Now   they   do   it   more    rapidly   and    effectively  by   the    simple 

process  of  cold  pressure;  and  the  work  turned  out  is  more  enduring.     So 

put  into  your  work  as  ministers,  in  every  part  of  it,  from  hub  to  felly,  the 

best  stock  at  your  command;   but  be  certain  you  bind  all  together  by  the 

cold  pressure  of  solid  instruction,  and  the  result  will  be  more  enduring, 

and  hence  more  to  the  glory  of  God. 

G.  A.  Ftinkhouser. 


AIvEXANDER  OWEN. 

The  pulpit  was  the  field  where  his  noble  powers  found  their  best  ex- 
pression. His  sermons  were  thoroughly  methodical,  carefully  prepared 
throughout,  and  uttered  with  the  freedom  and  strength  of  a  master.  He 
possessed  a  lively  imagination,  and  fine  powers  of  delineation,  all  under 
perfedt  control.  His  utterance  was  free,  full,  easy,  glowing,  his  manner 
calm,  dignified,  impressive.  He  made  in  the  pulpit  the  impression  of  being 
in  the  truest  and  noblest  sense  a  minister  of  the  word.  He  carried  to  his 
pulpit  service  the  spirit  of  a  humble  dependence  in  God,  and  sought  for 
his  work  the  preparation  of  the  Spirit.  ,  We  remember  once  on  a  Sabbath 
morning  taking  a  walk  with  him  awhile  before  the  hour  of  service.  Our 
way  lay  throitgh  a  grove  where  the  hills  and  a  thicket  closed  us  in  from 
observation.  Pausing  a  moment  and  looking  about  us,  Mr.  Owen  observed, 
"Here,  I  think,  is  a  good  pjace  to  pray."  We  knelt  down  together,  and 
with  great  fervency  he  implored  the  divine  assistance  in  the  approaching 
service.      We  did  not  wonder,   a  little  later,   that  his,  sermon  was  fragrant 

•with  the  fresh  odors  of  paradise. 

D.  Berger. 

278 


September  5. 


September  6. 


279 


the;  promIvSes  of  god. 

God  has  given  unto  us  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises.  They 
are  to  the  believer  an  inexhaustible  mine  of  wealth  —  an  armory  filled  with 
weapons,  offensive  and  defensive.  They  are  as  high  as  heaven,  deep  as 
the  grave,  and  vast  as  the  universe.  No  one  can  tell  how  precious  the 
promises  are,  till  he  has  leaned  his  whole  weight  on  them.  There  is  no 
pathway  in  life  exempt  from  trials  and  afflic^liqns;  no  day  without  its  night; 
no  rose  without  its  thorn;  no  valley  without  its  hills  and  mountains.  But 
as  an  offset  to  all  this,  there  is  a  promise  to  meet  every  possible  case. 
Jesus  has  gone  over  the  whole  length  of  the  way — not  by  proxy,  but  in 
person.  He  has  drank  at  every  fountain,  passed  through  every  valley,  as- 
cended every  rugged  mountain,  passed  over  every  desert,  crossed  every 
stream,  and  has  thoroughly  prepared  the  way.  And  there  is  not  a  pass- 
able inch  of  the  way  but  is  well  covered  with  the  most  precious  promises. 

J.  Weaver. 


A   CHERISHED    NAME. 

He  will  never  more  lead  an  army  nor  guide  the  ship  of  state.  He  will 
never  more  join  his  comrades  around  the  camp-fire.  He  is  dead.  No,  not 
dead;  such  men  never  die.  He  is  only  lifted  out  of  the  fogs  and  mists  of 
the  earth,  above  the  hills  into  the  sunlight  of  immortality,  where  all  can 
see  him  and  his  work  in  the  clear  atmosphere  of  truth.  To  behold  him 
now  we  must  look  away  from  selfishness  and  prejudice.  We  must  look 
above  and  far  beyond  the  warring  passions  of  mortals  into  the  heavens  of 
immortality.  He  lives!  He  lives  for  evermore  in  the  affe(5lions  of  his  free 
and  prosperous  countrymen,  in  the  hearts  of  the  millions  he  has  liberated 
and  the  country  he  has  united.  And  long  as  the  institutions  for  which 
he  battled  shall  bless  unborn  generations,  as  long  as  oppressed  humanity 
shall  hear  of  the  liberty  and  prosperity  of  this  great  nation,  so  long  will 
General  Ulysses  S.  Grant  live  in  the  memory,  the  affections,  and  the  grat- 
itude of  mankind. 

M.  P.  Doyle. 


280 


September  7. 


September  8. 
Rev.  Wm.  Miller,  1823. 


281 


THE  CRY   OF  THE   HEATHEN. 

Turn  toward  the  lieathen  world  and  listen  to  their  pitiful  cries.  Nine 
hundred  million  souls,  blind,  degraded,  debased,  lost  in  midnight  dark- 
ness, to  whom  the  gospel  has  never  come;  dark,  benighted  Africa  asking 
to  be  regenerated;  India  calling  for  emancipation;  China  and  Japan  with 
just  enough  light  to  awaken  within  them  a  deep  longing  for  more  light. 
Indeed,  all  over  those  dark,  dreary  lands  the  inhabitants  are  .stretching 
forth  their  hands  to  God,  and  calling  for  help.  Do  you  not  think  their 
pitiful  cries  ascending  to  the  throne  of  God  and  falling '  upon  the  ear  of 
the  great  High  -  priest  touch  his  heart,  and  cause  him  to  reiterate  with  in- 
creased  emphasis   the    command,     "Go;   go,    ye    favored    ones,    and   supply 

these  pressing  demands." 

G.   M.   Mathews. 


SILENT    FORCES. 

"The  best  things  in  the  world  are  everywhere  the  quietest  things." 
With  inexpressible  softness  the  light  and  warmth  of  the  sun  come  down. 
The  mellowing  spring  advances  quietly.  The  resurredtion  of  beauty  and 
life  on  the  earth,  the  robing  of  nature  with  her  new  habiliments,  the  burst- 
ing of  myriad  buds  into  fragrant  bloom,  the  ripening  into  summer's  full- 
ness and  autumn's  bounty,  all  proceed  with  the  utmost  quiet.  Noise  and 
bluster  and  tvirmoil  mark  the  path  of  Destruction's  agents.  Thunder  and 
earthquakes  and  hurricanes  and  roaring  cataradts  do  not  build  up,  but  de- 
stroy. Noiselessly  the  great  earth  revolves  and  sweeps  onward  in  her 
course,  and  the  stars  look  down  out  of  their  dephts  in  silence.  They  who 
think  the  Lord's  work  can  be  carried  forward  only  by  noisy  demonstration 
may  consider  with  profit  how  many  of  his  wonderful  agencies  work  in 
silence.     He  has  use  for  the  noisy  elements,  but  he  owns  the  quiet  as  well. 

D.  Berger. 


282 


September  9. 


September  10. 


283 


WOMAN'S   SPHERE. 

Men  may  lead  armies,  preside  over  senates,  quiet  mobs,  and  convince 
multitudes,  but  women  must  love,  not  in  illness,  ignorance,  or  wantonness, 
but  in  ac5lion,  intelligence,  and  piety.  She  must  love  to  care  for  the  sick 
and  unfortunate,  for  the  poor  and  outcast;  must  know  how  to  apply  reme- 
dies to  body  and  soul.  She  must  make  the  hard  work  of  a  teacher  a 
labor  of  love;  must  be  willing  to  take  part  against  the  crime  and  evil  that 
oppress  her  own  land;  must,  it  might  be,  we  can  not  tell,  stand  in  the 
pulpit  or  at  the  bar,  not  in  the  manner  of  men,  but  in  her  own  sacred 
type.  Faithful,  tender,  and  true  should  she  be  everywhere.  But  in  the 
home,  would  that  heaven  might  forbid  that  she  should  ever  appear  other 
than  the  queen  of  wisdom,  virtue,  and  refinement.  We  need  not  say  that 
in  all  her  work,  public  and  private,  the  one  great  objedl  should  be  to 
enrich  the  kingdom  of  her  Lord  Jesus. 

Ifiss  Josephene  Johnson. 


THE   LOGIC    OF  EVENTS. 

What  the  world  of  fa(5l  is  to  the  philosopher,  that  the  iield  of  life  is 
to  the  minister  of  Christ.  Acquaintance  with  what  lies  about  us  corredls 
our  vagaries,  breaks  the  tyranny  of  our  preceptions,  adapts  and  com- 
pletes our  views.  We  seek  to  lay  our  conscious  ideas  upon  things,  to 
force  things  into  the  line  of  our  purposes;  but  we  are,  at  the  last,  often 
compelled  to  receive  enlightenment  and  perhaps  corredlion  from  the 
events  that  we  are  seeking  to  shape.  There  is  an  unconscious  as  well  as 
a  conscious  tide  in  this  world's  affairs.  We  are  not  to  defer  to  events 
merely  because  of  their  force  or  rapid  pace.  We  are  to  recognize  that 
often  the  course  of  events  is  the  logic  of  Providence;  but  we  are  also  to 
bear  in  mind  that  whatever  is  of  God,   justifies   itself  to   the   divine   word 

and  the  unquestioned  principles  of  the  gospel. 

A.    W.  Drttry. 


L. 


September  ii. 


September  12. 


285 


THE   CHRISTIAN  vSABBATH. 

Blot  out  the  Christian  Sabbath,  and  you  blot  out  not  it  alone;  for,  as 
the  fact  that  Christ  rose  from  the  dead  gives  vitality  and  validity  to  all 
that  he  .said  and  did,  so  the  commemorative  ordinance  of  his  resurredlion 
stands  preeminent  among  all  the  ordinances  that  he  established,  not  only 
giving  vitality  and  validity  to  the  whole,  but  is  the  constant  support  and 
protection  of  the  whole,  so  that  to  abrogate  and  ignore  the  Christian 
vSabbath  is  to  do  the  same  to  all  the  adorning  verdure  and  precious  fruits 
of  practical  and  experimental  godliness  which  it  bears,  sending  a  withering 
blight  upon  the  most  hopeful  expedlations  of  the  Christian  world. 

JV.  Davis. 


VISITORS   AND   CHURCH -ATTENDANCE. 

When  away  from  home,   either  among  strangers  or  acquaintances,   how 

many  there  are  who  willfully  absent  themselves  from  the  house  of  God. 

Possibly  the  Sabbath  passes  without  the  sight  of  a  worshiping  assembly,  and 

the  day  is  spent  in  writing  or  looking  around  the  town  or  city  for  objedls 

of  interest  with  which  to  while  away  the  tedious  moments.    The  excuse  is 

often  made,  "I  did  not  know  where  the  church  was,"  as  though  inquiry 

might  not  have  been  easily  made  which  would  have  afforded  the  information. 

Perhaps  a  church  is  struggling  in  a  city  for  existence.      The  hard -worked 

pastor  is    almost  discouraged.      His    little  band  of   earnest  brethren  and 

sisters  are  faithfully  toiling,   bearing  heavy  burdens.      How  they  would  be 

cheered  and  helped  by  the   sympathy  and  words  of  a  brother  visiting  the 

the  city,  especially  if  he  be  an  old  acquaintance. 

T.  D.  Adams. 


286 


September  13. 


September  14. 


2S7 


THE  AI.I,- SEEING  EYE. 

When  the  photographer  turns  his  camera  toward  any  objecft,  a  perfedl 
image  of  it  is  formed  in  the  camera  itself.  Whether  the  objedl  be  near 
or  remote,  in  the  room  where  he  is  operating,  a  distant  mountain,  or  a 
star  in  the  depths  of  the  heavens,  the  image  is  not  seen  as  at  a  distance, 
but  is  formed  with  all  the  surroundings  of  the  objedl  itself,  in  his  imme- 
diate presence,  and  directly  under  his  eye.  Protedting  his  eyes  with  a 
dark  cloth,  he  sees  distinAly  every  shade  of  position  or  form.  So  when 
the  eye  of  God  is  turned  upon  us,  perhaps  out  of  the  distant  heavens,  he 
sees  us  not  only  as  here  on  earth  and  far  removed  from  him,  but  rather  as 
in  his  own  instant  presence.  And  he  discerns  us  thoroughly,  recognizing 
perfedtly  every  lineament  and  shade  of  our  being,  and  every  conceivable 
condition  and  want  of  our  nature.  To  the  wicked  the  fadt  is  one  of  terror 
and  dismay;  to  the  righteous  and  the  humble  penitent  before  God,  it 
brings  exceeding  great  comfort. 

D.  Bej-ger 


TO   WORKING-MEN. 


If  you  would  be  free,  if  you  would  be  successful,  you  must  regard 
Christian  principles  and  Christian  institutions.  It  is  God's  house  and 
God's  word  and  God's  church,  which  is  constanlily  and  persistently  ad- 
vocating the  do(5lrines  which  affedt  the  highest  degree  of  civilization  and 
human  equality.  If  the  commandment,  ''  Remember,  thou  keep  holy  the 
Sabbath  day,"  were  respected  and  all  public  works  would  cease  on  that 
day,  it  would  reduce  the  overproduction  of  the  country,  increase  the  de- 
mand for  labor,  and  sooth  and  lengthen  the  lives  of  the  toilers  of  the  day. 
Remember  that  it  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth  who  taught  first  the  universal 
brotherhood  of  man,  and  placed  man  high  above  gold,  which  perisheth. 
Thy  monej^  shall  perish  with  thee,  said  Christianity,  because  thou  thought- 
est  the  gift  of  God  could  be  purchased  with  money.  "lyife  is  more  than 
money,"  is  the  dodtrine  of  Christianity,  and  when  you  see  this  truth 
closely  and  realize  it  in  the  spirit  of  the  Master,  when  you  teach  it  to 
society,  and  incorporate  it  in  your  laws,  you  will  have  effe(5led  a  revolu- 
tion which  will  injure  no  one,  but  will  harmonize  every  jarring  interest 
and  place  ever}'  man   where   God   intends  he   shall  be,    '"equal  before  law 

and  blessed  before  God." 

3L  P.  Doyle. 

28S 


September  15. 
Rev.  jacob  B.  Resler,  1821.        Rev.  Andrew  J.  Newgent,  1838. 


September  16, 


[18]  289 


WORKERvS. 

What  the  world  needs  is  workers.  It  as  yet  owes  you  nothing.  You 
owe  it  all  there  is  of  you  —  your  thoughts,  your  emotions,  your  a<5lions, 
your  life.  Whether  your  individual  sphere  in  life  shall  be  a  public  or 
private  one,  make  it  one  full  of  good  deeds.  Have  honest  conviAions, 
formed  after  careful  deliberation,  and  give  them  courageous  utterance.  Be 
loyal  to  the  truth,  whatever  be  the  consequences.  Not  only  teach  man- 
kind  how  they  shall    live,  but   give    them   a   correifl   example.      None    are 

under  such  obligations  to  mankind  as  you. 

H.  A.  Thovipson. 


THE  JOY   OF   UNSELFISH   SERVICE. 

There  is  a  joy  in  the  very  work  of  recovering  the  lost  from  sinful  ways. 
There  are  certain  exercises  of  a  healthy  body  which  give  it  great  pleasure. 
There  is  a  pleasure  in  eating  and  in  employing  the  strength  of  the  limb  and 
body  in  honest  toil.  The  husbandman  and  the  father  has  untold  joy  in  the 
toil  which  gives  him  the  fruits  of  the  earth  which  fill  up  in  the  granery 
a  barricade  against  hunger  or  want  in  the  home  of  his  loved  family.  The 
wife  and  the  mother  finds  every  hour  of  toil  a  task  of  love  and  pleasure 
untold,  since  it  ministers  to  those  whom  God  has  given  her  in  such  pre- 
cious bands.  vShe  asks  no  reward,  she  thinks  of  no  pain,  she  dreads  no 
toil  with  a  bounding  heart  that  offers  the  life  one  long  sweet  libation  of 
love.  So  does  he  who  is  in  love  with  lost  souls  somewhat  as  Jesus  loved 
the  world,  find  a  wondrous  joy  in  the  very  toil  which  stretches  out  his 
emotions  and  thought  and  affection  and  faith,  and  puts  them  in  full  har- 
ness and  flying  speed  after  perishing  fellow  -  men. 

/.   W.  Hott. 


290 


Septembicr  17. 
Rev.  Henry  W.  Meredith,  1S38.         Mar}'  Ann  Share  (Maud),  1842. 


vSeptkmber  18. 
Rev.  L.  Bookwalter,  A.  M.,  1846.         Rev.  W.  M.  Weekley,  1851. 


291 


CHRISTIAN   CHARITY. 

What  an  amiable  and  lovely  thing  is  Christian  charity.  How  lovely 
the  mind  tindlured  throughout  with  this  heavenly  grace.  How  happy  the 
man  who  has  this  heavenly  fire  glowing  in  his  heart,  flowing  out  of  his 
mouth,  and  diffusing  its  warmth  over  all  with  whom  he  has  to  do.  Oh! 
what  a  lovely  thing  would  Christianity  appear  to  the  world,  if  all  who 
profess  it  would  pay  due  regard  to  that  command  on  which  its  heavenly 
author  laid  such  stress.  "  A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that 
ye  love  one  another  as  I  have  loved  you." 

J.  T.  Vardaman. 


THE   HAPPY   HOMK. 

It  does  not  require  wealth  to  make  a  pleasant  home.  We  have  often 
passed  by  the  large  houses  of  the  rich  where  all  about  them  and  within 
them  seemed  barren  and  chilly.  Not  far  from  them  were  the  cottages 
of  the  poor.  The  trailing  vines  which  found  it  easy  to  gain  the  roof,  a 
rich,  green  sod,  and  flowers  and  shrubs,  not  always  perhaps  seledled  with 
the  best  taste,  but  revealing  the  love  which  planted  and  cared  for  them, 
gave  ample  evidence  of  the  different  atmosphere  which  prevailed  within. 
A  cheerful,  pleasant,  and  inviting  home  takes  work  among  the  best  bless- 
ings which  a  benevolent  Father  grants  to  any  of  his  children  on  earth. 
Happy,  indeed,  are  those  families  which  are  blessed  with  such  a  pos- 
session.    Happy  are  those  children  that  are  brought  up  in  such  a  home. 

D.  Berger. 


292 


September  19. 


September  20. 


293 


GODLY  TEACHERS. 

If  it  be  desired  that  our  children  be  morallj'  as  well  as  intelledlually 
educated,  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  they  have  instructors  who 
have  personally  embraced  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ,  and  who  will  take  a 
deep  interest  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  those  committed  to  their  care.  The 
morals,  the  principles,  the  soul  of  the  pupil  are  intrusted  to  the  teacher's 
guardianship.  Upon  him  more  than  any  and  all  other  persons  and  agencies 
their  highest  interests  must  depend  during  the  critical  years  of  college -life. 
Upon  Christian  principles  and  a  Christian  basis  we  contend  the  training 
of  our  children  should  be  conduced.  The  principles  of  the  gospel  should 
have  a  permanent  place  and  controlling  influence  in  all  our-  colleges. 

J.  J.   Glossbrenner. 


SOURCE   OF   HIGHEST  JOY. 

We  enjoy  our  homes.     There  is  no  place  on  earth  more  attradlive.     The 

beautiful  pictures,   the   elegant  paintings,   the  choice  books,   the   furniture, 

all  minister  to   our  pleasure.     But  what   in  the   home  gives  the  children 

inexpressible  delight?     Is  it  not  the   presence  of  their  parents?     Is   it   not 

the  love  and  communion  of  father  and  mother  ?     So  it  is  with  the  Christian. 

Far  above  the   earth  with  its  bounty,   and  the  heavens  which  declare  his 

glory,  is  God  himself— the  God  of  holiness  and  love.     We  joy  in  the  Creator 

rather  than  his  creatures.     We  have  unfeigned  faith  in  him.     We  think  Of 

him  as  a  God  who  loves  us,   as  a  King  who  proteAs  us,  as  a  Father  who 

pities  and   cares  for  us.      And   under  the   consciousness   of  his  pardoning 

mercy  and  tender  care,  and  our  growing  likeness  to  him,  there   comes  to 

the  believer  untiring  delight,  so  that  he  exclaims  with  one  of  old,  "All  my 

springs  are  in  thee." 

G.  M.  Mathews. 


294 


September  21. 


September  22. 
Rev.  G.  W.  Miles  Rigor,  1831.         Prof.  Robert  J.  White,  A.  M.,  1851, 


295 


THE  WIFE. 

In  no  situation  in  life  does  woman  appear  more  like  acfling  the  part 
of  a  friend  to  man  than  when  she  becomes  a  wife.  It  is  a  tender  and 
touching  sight  to  see  a  maiden,  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  standing  before  the 
altar,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  him  whom  she  has  chosen  to  accompany- 
through  life.  With  what  confidence  she  pronounces  her  part  of  the  cere- 
mony! She  loves  her  brothers,  sisters,  parents,  with  a  fervent  love,  but 
they  do  not  exclude  others  ;  another  image  is  enshrined  in  her  heart. 
Trusting  in  the  husband  of  her  choice,  she  forsakes  all  to  go  forth  to  form 
new  associations,  and  as  an  angel  of  mercy  accompanies  him  along  the 
journey  of  life.  How  slow  to  believe  any  evil  of  him!  The  world  may 
load  him  with  calumny  and  disgrace,  but  she  heeds  them  not.     To  her  he 

is  pure  and  unsullied. 

H.  A.    Thompson. 


THE  CHAPEL  OF  THE  MANGER. 

We  were   kindly  shown   through   all  the   portions  of  the   church;  and 

with  tender  thoughts  looked  again   and   again   upon    these    narrow  walls 

which  once  held  a  young  mother,  joyful  at  the  birth  of  the  long- promised 

Messiah.     While  the  shepherds  told  the  story  of  his  birth,   and  the  Magi 

went  to   their   own   land   to   relate    the  wonderful   tidings,    Mary,   of  royal 

womanhood,    "kept   all    these    things   and   pondered   them   in   her  heart." 

She    had   a   deeper    sorrow   and   pang;    she   experienced   a   higher  joy   and 

honor;   she  knew  the  secret  of  the  L,ord,  but  turned  her  loving,  calm  eyes 

on  her   infant  child  and  worshiped   God,   and   thought  upon  his  mercy  to 

the   world    and    to   his    handmaiden.      Oh,    wondrous   night!      Oh,    happy, 

blessed  family,  crowded  from  the  inn  to  teach  the  world  a  lesson  of  loving 

humility  to  the  end  of  time! 

/.  W.  Hott. 


296 


September  2^. 


September  24. 
Rev.  J.  H.  Snyder,  1842. 


297 


SUCCESS   IN  THE   MINISTRY. 

The  great  law  of  Christian  kindness  and  human  sympathy  must  be 
observed  by  the  pastor  in  his  relations  to  liis  people  if  he  would  be  suc- 
cessful in  winning  them  to  Christ.  Whatever  of  gifts  or  attainments 
as  pertains  to  wisdom  or  grace  the  minister  of  the  gospel  may  possess, 
he  can  not  successfully  reach  the  hearts  of  the  people  without  the  grace 
of  Christian  sympathy,  and  hence  can  not  win  them  to  Christ.  As  the 
summer's  sun  unlocks  the  frozen  seas  of  winter  and  warms  the  elements 
of  the  material  world,  causing  vegetation  to  spring  up  and  the  bosom 
of  the  earth  to  throb  with  life  and  gladness,  so  Christian  sympathy  warms 
and  animates  the  hearts  of  those  upon  whom  it  is  bestowed.  It  is  a  fount- 
ain breaking  out  in  the  desert,  whose  limpid  waters  refresh  the  souls 
of  famishing  ones  as  they  traverse  the  plains  of  life  to  the  world  beyond. 

Halleck  Floyd. 


CONSECRATION. 

When  will  Christians  respond  to  the  demands  of  God,  from  the  same 
considerations  that  move  them  to  promptness  and  honesty  in  the  ordinary 
business  affairs  of  life  ?  When  will  the  demands  of  the  church  be  no 
longer  esteemed  as  the  pitiful  pleas  of  a  beggar,  but  the  lawful  and  ap- 
propriate requirements  of  her  lyord?  Not  until  the  world  is  made  to 
know  that  the  bride  of  Christ  does  not  beg  when  she  asks  for  means  to 
carry  forward  her  proper  work,  but  rightfully  asks  for  a  portion  of  what 
her  I,ord  has  intrusted  to  her  stewardship;  not  until,  in  the  spirit  of  entire 
consecration,  the  resources  of  each  individual  are  fully  placed  upon 
the  altar.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  will  the  means  be  furnished  to  carry 
forward  the  enterprises  of  the  church  upon  a  scale  commensurate  with 
the  necessities  of  the  world,  and  the  sublime  grandeur  of  the  ends  sought 
to  be  accomplished. 

J.  Hoke. 


298 


September  25. 


September  26. 

Rev.  Geo.  Muth,  179S.        Rev.  Wni.  B.  Shinn,  1844. 
Rev.  I.  M.  Moody,  1847. 


299 


SAVE   THI5    DRUNKARD. 

Win  him  to  Christ.  Show  mercy  and  kindness  and  charity  to  the 
drinker.  Do  not  be  like  the  priest  and  the  L,evite,  pass  by  on  the  other 
side,  but  be  like  the  good  Samaritan;  go  to  these  unfortunate  brothers  of 
ours  who  have  been  overtaken  by  this  enemy  and  shorn  of  their  strength, 
reputation,  fortune,  and  self- respedl,  and  who  lie  along  the  highway  robbed 
and  bruised  and  helpless,  and  by  the  power  of  divine  love  and  sympathy 
seek  to  lift  them  up,  pour  the  oil  of  consolation  into  their  wounds,  speak 
to  them  words  of  tenderness  and  cheer,  take  them  to  the  church,  put  your 
hearts  under  their  hearts  and  your  lives  under  their  lives,  and  thereby  win 
them  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  to  a  better  life. 

G.  M.  Mathews. 


TO  THE   BOYS. 

Do  you  know  that  somewhere  among  your  number  are  the  boys  who 
are  going  to  be  the  future  presidents,  governors,  judges,  ministers,  states- 
men, physicians,  thrifty  merchants,  farmers,  teachers,  professors,  and 
thriving  business  men  of  this  land?  Now,  who  of  your  number  are  going 
to  fill  these  honorable  positions?  Listen,  and  I  will  tell  you.  The  boys 
who  are  obedient,  polite,  and  kind  to  their  parents,  who  shun  tobacco, 
beer,  rum,  cigars,  and  cigarettes;  who  form  no  acquaintance  with  yellow- 
backed  literature,  theaters,  and  circus  shows;  who  carefully  save  their 
clothes  and  their  pennies;  who  diligently  improve  their  time  in  reading 
valuable  books;  who,  when  in  school,  strive  earnestly  to  master  every 
lesson,  and  sacredly  observe  all  the  rules;  who  decide  to  take  a  thorough 
course  in  college  and  allow  nothing  to  thwart  their  purpose. 

/.  L.  Kephart. 


300 


September  27. 


September  28. 


301 


the;  SUNDAY -SCHOOIv  tkachsr. 

There  must  be  a  true  understanding  of  the  relation  of  children  in  Christ 
and  the  church.  The  mechanic  must  know  the  nature  of  the  instrument 
to  be  used,  and  also  the  nature  of  the  material  upon  which  he  is  to  work, 
or  otherwise  he  will  not  secure  the  result  sought.  If  the  children  are  to 
be  trained  by  the  teacher  and  preacher  so  as  to  become  efficient  members 
of  the  church,  both  must  understand  the  nature  of  the  relation  already- 
existing  as  well  as  the  one  to  be  sought.  These  will  determine  the  nature 
of  the  instru<5lion  to  be  given.  If  the  children  are  held  in  the  bonds  of 
depravity,  then  they  must  be  taught  their  condition  and  how  to  escape  it. 
If  they -only  need  to  have  the  children's  Redeemer  held  up  to  them  so 
their  youthful  affedtions  may  take  hold  of  him,  they  will  need  a  different 
kind  of  teaching. 

H.  A.   Thompson. 


PREPARATION  FOR  DEATH. 

We  .should  seek  to  leave  behind  as  good  an  influence  as  possible,  and 
as  little  cause  of  trouble  as  can  be  avoided ;  and  to  do  this  every  one 
should  make  the  very  best  disposition  of  all  earthly  effeAs,  so  that  there 
may  not  be  any  just  cause  of  dispute  and  litigation  which  are  so  preva- 
lent at  the  present  day.  The  making  of  wills,  conveyance  of  property', 
settlement  of  business,  should  all  be  attended  to,  and  will  be  a  great 
benefit  to  those  we  leave  behind.  Make  as  equitable  a  division  of  your 
property  as  you  can  ;  and  do  not  forget  to  give  something  to  the  cause  of 
religion  that  may  help  it  on  when  you  are  quiet  in  the  grave.  To  have 
your  business  well  and  legally  arranged,  and  to  provide  liberally  for  the 
cause  of  Christ  is  the  earth  side  of  your  duty,  and  more  or  less  connedls 
itself  with  the  eternal    side  of   your    history,  for  we  shall    determine    here 

what  our  future  shall  be. 

B.  F.  Booth. 


302 


September  ag. 


September  30. 
Rev.  Dr.  Daniel  C.  Kumler,  1807. 


303 


THY   DISCIPI.E. 

lyord,  I  would  be  thy  disciple;  'tis  the  longing  of  my  heart; 

But  the  cross  seems  very  heavy,  and  I  hesitate  to  start. 

Help  me,  Savior,  make  the  eifort;  strengthen  me  with  heavenly  gfrace, 

And  permit  me  in  thy  vineyard  to  fulfill  a  humble  place. 

Lord,  thou  knowest  how  sincerely  I  desire  to  follow  thee, 
How  at  times  the  cross  seems  heavy, —  yea,  almost  to  crush  me; 
But  I  hear  thy  gentle  wooing,  "Wilt  thou  my  disciple  be?" 
And  I  hear  thee  also  saying,  "Take  thy  cross  and  follow  me." 

Shall  I  stop  to  mark  the  distance,  or  the  seeming  burden  weigh  ? 
Shall  I  halt  though  steep  the  mountain,  rough  and  stonj-  be  the  way? 
Dare  I  saj'  it  is  too  heavy,  and  refuse  to  bear  the  load? 
Thou  didst  bear  it  to  the  summit  on  that  long  and  rugged  road. 

Shall  I  rather  not  be  striving  thy  disciple  e'er  to  be, 
Bearing,  suffering,  singing,  praying,  anything  to  honor  thee? 
Blessed  Jesus,  loving  Savior,  help  me  bear  the  cross  for  thee; 
I'll  ne'er  count  it  too  great  labor,  since  thou  didst  so  much  for  me. 

D.  N.  Howe. 


304 


VANQUISHED. 

Out  on  a  pleasant  path,  when  years  were  few, 

And  overbrimmed  with  expedtation  sweet, 

I  started  with  my  inexperienced  feet 
Valiant  all  wrong  to  overcome  and  good  to  do. 

Ah,  this  fair  life  that  all  were  yet  to  see! 

The  life  that  was  to  hold  no  flaw  nor  stain, 

But  was  to  silence  all  the  world's  disdain  — 
The  little  world  that  in  its  limits  counted  me. 

I  was  to  have  the  gold  without  the  dross. 

Drink  youth's  fair  wine  and  leave  the  dregs  below. 
What  have  the  slow  -  revolving  years  to  show, 

Save  that  my  gain  is  perfe(5t  in  its  loss  ? 

For  I  have  walked  where  sermons  led  the  way. 
And  lost  from  out  my  heart  the  olden  trust  — 
Have  heard  the  words  of  anguish,  "  Dust  to  dust,'' 

When  heaven  seemed  deaf  to  all  despair  could  say. 

And  I  have  seen  the  strength  that  was  my  boast 
Reduced  to  naught  before  temptation's  power; 
And  human  love  has  failed  me  in  the  hour 

Of  all  sore  hours,  when  it  was  needed  most. 

I  wander  on  and  find  no  wayside  inn, — 

No  resting  -  place  my  longing  eyes  to  greet. 

The  dust  clings  to  my  tired,  aching  feet; 
And  I  am  lost  where  I  had  meant  to  vrin. 

Alas,  alas,  sweet  Savior,  pity  me; 

The  blinding  mist  is  thick  before  my  eyes! 

Point  me  to  what  beyond  the  valley  lies. 
And  hold  me  with  thy  strong  arm  tenderly. 

Maud  [Mary  A.  Shafv). 


30. 


AN  APPEAL  TO   EDUCATE. 

Books  and  schools  are  accessible  to  all.  There  is  no  young  man  or 
young  lady  too  poor  to  acquire  an  education.  Will  you  be  satisfied  then, 
while  you  possess  ten  or  a  hundred  times  the  facilities  your  fathers  possessed, 
to  go  exactly  in  their  tracks?  Will  you  negle(5l  to  use  your  faculties  and 
make  proportionate  progress,  or  will  you  resolve  at  once  to  be  what  God 
designed  you  to  be  ?  If  you  have  the  heart  to  make  the  resolution,  set 
about  its  accomplishment  at  once.  Fix  upon  the  point  to  which  you  wish 
to  attain,  then  bend  all  your  energies  to  accomplish  that  objedt.  Try  it. 
Try  hard,  persevere,  and  you  will  gain  the  prize. 

J.  Hayzc'ood,  iSji. 


TO   MOTHERS. 

What  the  future  generation  is  to  be  depends  upon  what  the  mothers 
of  to-day  are.  Physically,  mentally,  and  morally  the  mother  more  than 
any  one  else  holds  the  destiny  of  the  child  in  her  hand.  But  what  are 
the  mothers  of  to-day  doing  in  the  diredlion  of  making  their  children 
physically  healthy  and  sound?  Does  the  training  daughters  of  fashionable 
mothers  are  to-day  receiving  at  the  hands  of  these  mothers  tend  to  health 
and  sj'mmetry  of  body  ?  To  secure  these,  the  body  must  have  daily  exercise 
in  the  open  air.  How  many  of  these  fashionable  daughters  take  such  ex- 
ercise ?  Sunlight  is  essential  to  health.  To  secure  and  preserv^e  good  health 
requires  the  observing  of  regular  hours,  regular  meals,  and  wholesome  food 
properly  -cooked.  Fashionable  mothers  permit  these  rules  to  be  violated. 
How,  then,  can  the  evils  be  remedied?  L,et  the  mothers  break  the  iron 
chains  of  fashion,  and  instead  of  training  their  daughters  to  be  weakly, 
sickl}',  pale-faced,  hollow-eyed,  wasp-waisted,  sentimental  butterflies  of 
fashion,  let  them  give  to  them  from  their  infancy  such  training,  physically, 
mentally,  and  morally,  as  is  in  harmony  with  the  laws  of  good  health. 

/.  L.  Kephart. 

306 


October  i. 
Rev.  Isaac  Crouse,  1827. 


October  2. 


307 


THE   OBJECT  OF   PREACHING. 

The  preacher's  mission  is  the  sublime,  may  I  say  almost  superhuman, 
effort  of  bringing  the  human  mill  into  harmony  zviih  the  divine,  which 
must  result  in  the  destrudlion  of  sin;  for  sin  is  the  antagonism  of  the  two 
wills.  This  heroic  effort  once  engaging  a  Savior's  heart,  is  now  delegated 
by  commission  to  chosen  men,  and  requires  moral  force  as  the  comple- 
ment of  intelledtual  power.  On  the  human  side,  the  preacher  has  to  do 
with  man's  will.  We  preach  to  the  intelledl  and  to  the  heart;  but  these 
two  are  only  the  double -door  entrances  through  which  we  approach  the 
will, —  this  adamantine  fort,  man's  Gibraltar,  which  is  the  last  and  greatest 
resistance  to  the  gospel.  He  is  the  strongest  preacher  who  can  pound  the 
hardest  upon  the  ponderous  gate  of  man's  will.  On  the  divine  side,  the 
preacher  has  to  do  with  God.  The  secret  of  his  power  here  lies  in  union 
and  communion  with  Deity;  and  this  he  uses  in  his  struggle  to  bring  God 

and  man  together. 

J.  W.  Etter 


DECISION   OF   CHARACTER. 

The  history  of  religion  furnishes  us  the  mo-st  noted  instances  of  decis- 
ion and  stability  of  characfler  of  which  we  have  any  record  in  the  annals 
of  the  world.  Such  traits  in  human  character  are  born  of  a  heroic  moral 
courage.  Look  at  Mo.ses,  who  delivered  the  children  of  Israel  from  their 
bondage  in  Egypt;  Joshua,  the  statesman  of  spotless  charadler,  and  the 
successful  leader  of  God's  people;  David,  the  king;  Elijah  and  Daniel, 
prophets;  Paul,  the  apostle,  all  of  whom  under  the  most  trying  circum- 
stances stood  true  to  their  principles  and  their  God  again.st  the  greatest 
oppression  and  cruelty.  And  among  the  names  of  these  worthies  we  may 
well  enroll  the  names  of  Wycliffe,  who  gave  to  England  the  Bible  in  the 
mother  tongue;  Martin  I,uther,  who  gave  to  the  world  an  open  Bible,  and 
broke  the  shackles  of  free  thought;  John  Bunyan,  the  hero  of  Bedford 
Jail;  John  Knox,  who  delivered  Scotland  from  the  power  of  her  political 
and  ecclesiastical  enemies;  John  Weslej',  the  enthusiastic  and  courageous 
reformer;  Columbus,  the  discoverer  of  America,  and  hosts  of  others,  living 
and  dead,  whose  names  are  cherished  with  affeAionate  regard. 

M.  R.  Drury. 

308 


October  3. 


OCTOrKR  4. 
Bishop  Nicholas  Castle,  1837. 


309 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

The  kingdom  of  our  Father  in  heaven  carries  with  it  holy  purity  to 
banish  loathsome  corruption.  It  gives  obedience  instead  of  alienation 
from  God,  happiness  instead  of  misery,  joy  and  liberty  instead  of  bondage 
and  despair,  the  glory  of  God  instead  of  satanic  .shame,  and  salvation  in- 
stead of  damnation.  It  raises  man  up  in  the  scale  of  civilization.  It  gives 
a  new  spirit  to  society  and  to  the  nations  of  the  earth.  It  gives  light  in- 
stead of  tie  pall  of  moral  darkness.  It  rejoices  heaven  and  earth  instead 
of  grieving  Christ  and  the  holy  angels.  Fvery  soul  saved  from  sin  and 
brought  to  the  paradise  of  God,  saves  an  immeasurable  degree  of  degrada- 
tion and  woe,  and   gives  an  infinity  of  noble  well-being  and    of  bliss  and 

glory. 

M.    Wright. 


THE  QUIET  LIFE. 

Uneasy  rests  the  head  which  wears  the  crown.  Posts  of  honor  and 
power  are  not  posts  of  genuine  pleasure.  The  duty  laid  upon  each  of  us 
is  to  develop  our  own  manhood  and  womanhood,  and  then  shed  the  influ- 
ence which  must  come  from  such  a  life  in  whatever  sphere  we  may  a<5l. 
The  moon  is  not  as  large  as  the  sun,  nor  does  it  shed  as  much  light,  but 
to  the  benighted  traveler  it  is  just  as  acceptable.  The  world's  heroes  are 
not  all  found  on  the  tented  field,  nor  at  the  head  of  armies,  nor  speaking 
to  admiring  senators,  but  wherever  men  and  women  come  face  to  face 
with  and  grapple  with  the  problem  of  destiny.  They  are  found  in  the 
lowly  and  lonely  cottage,  by  the  side  of  the  sick  infant  in  the  hospital, 
by  the  bedside  of  the  dying,  in  the  marts  of  trade,  in  the  slums  of  the 
cities,  wherever  men  and  women  hear  and  obey  the  voice  of  Him  who 
speaks  to  the  inner  consciousness  the  words  of  everlasting  truth. 

H.  A.    Thompson. 


310 


October  5. 


October  6. 
Rev.  Wm.  B.  I^eggett,  1846.        Rev.  R.  C.  Thomas,  1853. 


3" 


HEART  -  EXPERIENCE. 

To  turn  men  from  the  error  of  their  ways,  and  to  guide  them  when 
turned,  is  enough  to  challenge  the  capacities  of  the  wisest  and  best  man 
in  the  world.  Men,  to  do  this  work,  need  experience  —  a  deep,  an  abiding, 
and  an  ever -fresh  and  living  experience;  an  experience  that  is  heavenly,  that 
is  from  above,  that  is  divine.  No  man  is  competent  to  teach  his  fellow- 
man  the  way  to  heaven  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  has  not  already  taught  the 
way.  A  genuine  Christian  experience,  a  genuine  change  of  heart,  a  Holy 
Ghost  regeneration,  is  the  base -rock  of  a  divinely  -  appointed  minister  of 
the  gospel.     A  man  without  this  may  be   a  man  -  appointed  minister,  but 

never  a  God -appointed  embassador. 

G.  P.  Macklin. 


ETERNITY. 

However  quiet  all  things  beyond  may  seem  to  us  now,  there  are  scenes 
transpiring  which,  if  we  could  see,  would  thrill  our  souls  through  and 
through.  If  it  were  a  matter  of  choice  with  us  to  stay  here  or  go  there, 
we  might  settle  the  matter  at  once  and  remain  on  this  side,  and  then  give 
ourselves  no  further  concern  about  the  hereafter.  But  it  is  not  left  to  our 
choice.  The  matter  is  settled,  once  and  forever.  We  must  know  by  ex- 
perience what  it  is  to  be  in  eternity.  Each  must  realize  in  the  full  light 
of  eternity  what  it  is  to  be  saved  or  lost.  If  it  is  beyond  our  power  to 
imagine  what  the  ecstacy  of  the  soul  of  the  saint  will  be  as  it  enters  the 
home  of  the  angels,  how  much  more  is  it  beyond  our  power  to  imagine 
what  the  anguish  of  that  doomed  spirit  will  be  as  it  passes  into  the  beyond 

with  the  full  consciousness,  "I  am  lost  forever." 

J.  Weaver. 


312 


October  7. 


October  8. 


313 


SHAPING  CHARACTER. 

In  cutting  glass  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  a  cut  that  shall  extend 
down  through  the  entire  thickness  of  the  sheet  to  be  severed.  It  is  suffi- 
cient that  but  a  slender  thread  going  but  little  beneath  the  surface  shall 
be  traced  with  the  diamond,  and  from  this  the  further  breaking  will  be 
easily  accomplished.  So  in  the  destrudlion  of  charac?ter  it  frequenly  hap- 
pens that  but  a  very  slight  abrasion  at  the  first  will  tend  in  time  to  re- 
sults that  are  an  overwhelming  surprise.  In  dealing  with  questions  of 
first  principles  in  character -building  the  teacher  has  an  important  mission 

before  his  class, 

D.  Berger. 


TO  THEOLOGICAL  STUDENTS. 

Our  age  is  stimulated  to  the  highest  degree.  vSatan  is  bestirring  him- 
self to  the  utmost.  God's  people  must  not  be  less  wise  or  intense.  New 
measures  are  being  used  in  Christian  work.  Invention  is  being  taxed  for 
new  expedients.  In  this  state  of  things  some  would  throw  away  their 
books,  discard  the  accepted  guides  in  religion,  rush  wildly  into  the  field 
of  adlion,  and  resort  to  cheap  expedients  for  present  effeA.  Some  may 
accomplish  a  measure  or  a  species  of  good  in  this  way  ;  but  you  probably 
are  not  called  to  this  method  of  acftion.  Should  the  church  in  general 
take  this  course,  Christianity  would  be  be  degraded  before  the  intelligence 
of  man,  and  true  religion  would  be  turned  into  spiritual  jugglery  or  buf- 
foonery. Rather,  if  our  natures  are  to  be  brought  up  to  a  high  key,  if  our 
adlion  is  to  be  intense,  if  we  are  to  be  surrounded  by  a  bewildering  maze 
of  fiercely  -  contending  forces,  if  we  are  to  be  given  no  time  for  devising, 
no  opportunity  for  retradtion,  then  let  us  know  at  the  beginning  what  we 
are  to  do.  Let  us  gather  all  wisdom  to  our  aid,  collecft  our  strength,  take 
our  bearings,  secure  our  balance,  and  then  make  our  plunge.    A  cool  head 

must  accompany  a  warm  heart. 

A.    \V.  Drury. 

314 


October  9. 


October  10. 


31! 


NEARNESS  TO    GOD. 

Hew  happy  is  the  condition  of  him  who  draws  nigh  to  God  and  there 
abides  continually.  Notice,  there  is  no  command  to  his  children  to  depart 
from  him.  There  may  they  abide  — there  rejoice.  What  sunshine  does 
his  presence  afford!  What  a  glorious  hope  in  the  presence  of  his  coun- 
tenance! What  strength  is  imparted  by  his  vitality!  What  consuming 
of  sin,  what  purifying  in  his  presence!  In  the  sunshine  of  his  grace, 
irrigated  by  the  streams  of  life,  how  does  every  virtue  flourish,  and 
every  heavenly  fruit  grow  and  ripen !  What  comfort,  what  happiness, 
what  security  is  afforded,  what  triumph  over  sin,  what  vidlory  over  death, 
and  what    a   glorious    hope    of   immortality   cheers    him  who  thus   draws 

nigh  to  God. 

M.    Wright. 


IMMORTAI.ITY. 

Hail,  immortality,  unsetting  sun  of  light  and  cheer!  With  it  are  em- 
braced all  thoughts  that  lift  man  up  and  that  illumine  his  abode  amid  the 
struggles  and  confusion  of  time.  There  is  an  inspiration  not  of  earth,  nor 
bounded  by  its  narrow  limits;  for  it  sweeps  onward  and  upward  to  the 
great  white  throne,  and  reposes  satisfied  in  the  presence  of  Deity.  We 
revel  in  the  thought  that  our  beloved  departed  are  safe  in  the  immortal 
home,  and  await  our  arrival  there,  where  amid  the  millions  of  spirits  made 
perfeA'  ours  will  be  recognized  and  greeted.  How  the  very  thought  urges 
us  to  greater  devotion  to  Christ  and  more  kindness  and  helpfulness 
toward  every  human  being.  We  may  safely  conclude  that  every  docftrine 
that  brings  us  comfort,  refines  us,  and  makes  us  better,  is  of  God  and  is 
true.  Every  longing  desire,  the  thought  of  which  improves  us  in  our 
condudl  toward  God  and  man,  is  founded  in  reason,  proceeds  from  God, 
and  is  worthy  of  belief.  The  thought  of  immortality  is  hailed  with  de- 
light. It  finds  a  hearty  response  in  man's  soul,  gives  him  comfort  and 
joy,  and  may  therefore  in  reason  as  well  as  revelation  be  accounted  as 
worthy  of  our  confidence;  and  upon  its  cheerful  bosom  we  may  rest  our 
weary  heads  and  joyfully  await  the  coming  morning,  "when  death  shall 
be  swallowed  up  in  victory."  B.  F.  Booth. 

316 


October  ii. 


October  12. 


317 


WORK  FOR  AI,!,. 

It  frequently  happens  in  churches  that  most  of  the  a(5tive  management 
is  done  by  a  few  persons.  Sometimes  this  is  so  by  the  preference  of  those 
who  take  little  part  in  the  diredlion  of  affairs  —  they  are  glad  to  have  others 
do  what  they  do  not  care  to  do  themselves.  At  other  times  this  condition 
arises  out  of  the  arbitrary  disposition  of  a  small  circle  of  those  who  aspire 
to  be  the  leaders.  They  are  not  anxious  to  have  others  divide  this  care 
with  them,  and  in  various  ways  give  them  to  understand  that  their  coun- 
sels and  assistance,  further  than  in  the  pecuniary  part,  are  not  needed. 
That  is  the  wisest  management  which  finds  for  all  the  members  something 
to  do.  Men  will  be  most  interested  in  that  which  they  have  a  part  in 
doing.     Their  time,  exertion,  and  money  will  be  found  ready  to  command 

when  they  are  made  true  sharers  in  the  work. 

D.  Berger. 


KEEPING   RELIGION. 

The  great  mistake  is  that  many  persons  seem  to  think  they  can  get  a 

stock   on   hand  which  will  last   a  month   or  more.      But  that  can  not  be 

done.     The  Israelites  tried  it  on  the  manna  business;   but  it  was  a  failure. 

They  had  to  get  it   fresh   every  day,  except   on   Sunday.     In   like    manner 

we  must  go  to  the  Fountain  every  day.     No,  that  is  not  the  better  way  to 

express   it.      The    right   and   only  safe   plan    is   to   go   to  the  Fountain  and 

stay  there,  and  drink  every  day.     Religion  on  Sunday  is  not  a  bad  thing; 

but   it   is   not  enough.      The    pattern   is   too   short;    it   must   be   full   seven 

days  long.     Many  go  to  church  on  Sunday  and  get  somewhat  stirred  up. 

They  get  a  taste  of  the  water  of  life,  and  then  conclude  that  this  will  last 

all  week.     Religion  was  intended  to  keep  us;  and  it  will  do  it  if  we  keep 

on  hand  a  good  supply.     We  must  have  a  good  quality — what  James  calls 

"pure  religion;"    and  then  we  must  have  a  good  quantity. 

J.  Weaver. 


318 


OCTOBKR    13. 

Rev.  J.  C.  Bright,  1818. 


October  14. 
Rev.  Simeon  Austin,  i8i{ 


319 


TRUK  WISDOM. 

Would  you  be  wise, —  not  only  be  thought  so,  but  be  really  so, —  study 
the  Scriptures.  By  them  you  will  get  more  understanding  than  the  an- 
cients—  than  all  your  teachers.  Make  your  observations  upon  the  carriage 
and  miscarriage  of  others,  that  you  may  take  pattern  by  those  who  do 
well  and  take  warning  b}-  those  who  do  ill  —  may  look  upon  both  and 
receive  instru<5tion.  But  especially  be  earnest  with  God  in  prayer  for  wis- 
dom as  Solomon  was  —  and  the  prayer  was  both  pleasing  and  prevailing 
in  heaven.  If  any  man,  if  any  young  man,  lack  wisdom,  and  is  sensible 
that  he  lacks  it,  he  is  dire<5led  what  to  do.  His  way  is  plain.  I,et  him 
ask  it  of  God.  And  he  is  encouraged  to  do  it;  for  the  I,ord  giveth  wisdom. 
He  has  it  to  give,  he  delights  to  give  it,  and  he  gives  liberally.  He  has  a 
peculiar  eye  to  young  people  in  the  dispensing  of  his  gifts  ;  for  his  word 
was  written  to  give  to  the  young  man  knowledge  and  discretion. 

J.  J.   Glossbrenner. 


SMILES. 

There  are  out -in -company  smiles  and  alone -at-home  smiles.  It  is  a 
very  nice  accomplishment  to  wear  a  smile  of  proper  length  and  breadth  at 
a  missionarj'  tea,  a  social  party,  and  wedding  or  anj^  festive  occasion,  only 
it  seems  a  pity  that  sometimes  the  muscles  which  make  up  this  proper 
smile  grow  so  tired  —  by  the  time  the  wearer  of  it  reaches  home,  the  ad- 
mired smile  is  either  gone  entirely  or  has  merged  into  a  smirky  smile  or 
a  scornful  smile.  There  are  smiles  of  sympathy.  How  much  they  say! 
When  one  is  listening  to  some  subtle  argument,  to  some  eloquent  flight 
of  oratory,  to  some  sweeetly- thrilling  song,  or  looking  with  admiration, 
verging  into  love,  upon  some  rare,  rich  scene  of  God's  own  hand -paint- 
ing—  when  the  softest  word  would  break  the  charm  —  how  just  a  little 
.smile  of  recognition  from  one  who  appreciates  it  as  you  do  makes  your 
heart  throb  and  grow  full  of  joy  and  thanks.  There  are  sunny  smiles,  as 
full  of  life,  heat,  and  blessing,  as  our  noonday  sun  when  the  spring-time 
comes.     Happ}-  the  home  if  but  one  inmate  thereof  brightens  it  with  these 

heart -growing,  sunshiny  smiles! 

Isadoic  S.  Bash. 

320 


October  15. 


October  16. 


[20]  321 


EDUCATION. 

Education  is  the  handmaid  of  religion.  It  v/as  a  powerful  auxiliary  in 
the  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  century.  It  was  then,  and  is  now,  a 
destrudlive  ally  against  popery,  and  all  forms  of  skepticism  and  infidelity. 
No  church  has  flourished,  or  can  flourish,  that  negleAs  the  higher  education. 
If  we  would  secure  permanency  and  enjoy  a  flourishing  growth  in  cities  and 
towns  of  the  country,  we  must  go  to  them  in  the  person  of  men  of  deep 
and  broad  heart  and  head  culture  —  men  possessing  an  accurate  and  gen- 
eral acquaintance  with  men  and  things.  With  such  men  in  the  field,  we 
must  succeed.  Failure  is  impossible.  The  past  has  taught  us  that  we  can 
not  get  such  men  from  the  institutions  of  the  state.  What  must  be 
done?  We  must  educate  them  ourselves,  or  perish.  We  can  not  hold  our 
present  ground  unless  we  educate.  No  people  will  be  stable  and  continue 
permanent  without  education.     A  religion  that  is  not  founded  on  knowlege 

and  fortified  by  education  will  not  endure. 

J?.  Rock. 


MARKS   OF   PROGRESS. 

The  present  brilliant  illumination  of  our  cities  with  eledlric  lights  marks 
an  important  step  in  the  progress  of  civilization.  With  wonderful  strides 
have  art  and  invention  advanced  within  the  memory  of  middle  -aged  people. 
Many  of  these  recall  readily  the  excitement  that  was  felt  when  the  first 
short  line  of  the  eledlric  telegraph  was  found  to  work  successfully,  and 
even  the  surprise  that  was  created  by  the  first  sight  of  the  quick  flash  of  a 
lyucifer  match.  Now  the  telegraph  wires  traverse  the  seas,  and  cast  their 
net -work  round  the  world,  while  in  the  cities  the  telephone  wires  fill  the 
air  like  the  webs  of  monster  weaver's  looms.  From  the  present  powerful 
illuminators,  which  cast  shadows  of  human  and  other  objects  many  hun- 
dreds of  feet,  back  to  the  lighting  apparatus  of  less  than  half  a  century 
ago,  seems  now  like  an  amazing  distance.  The  eleAric  lights,  illuminating 
gas,  coal  -  oil,  lard  -  oil,  tallow  molds,  or  dips,  and  pine  knots,  mark  the 
several  gradations;  and  there  are  men  not  very  old  who  have  employed 
the  service  of  all.  The  world  is  advancing  in  thought,  in  methods,  in  the 
intensity  of  its  life.  In  the  midst  of  this  stirring,  moving,  palpitating 
life  it  is  important  that  the  light  of  truth  shine  forth  with  an  intense 
radiance.  It  should  blaze  forth  with  a  brightness  and  power  augmented 
like  that  of  the  ele<5tric  illuminator.  D.  Berger. 

322 


October  17, 


October  18. 


323 


PRACTICAI,  HOLINESS. 

That  person  who  makes  it  the  first  objeA  of  life  to  please  God  and  do 
good  to  man  is  holy,  is  sanAified.  It  is  not  physical,  it  is  moral  purity. 
The  begrimed  chimney-sweep  may  shine  with  holiness.  The  hand  be- 
fouled in  honest  toil  maybe  clean  from  iniquity  —  be  holy.  It  is  not  pure 
blood,  but  a  pure  mind.  It  does  not  consist  in  starch  and  polish,  but 
righteousness  of  spirit  and  uprightness  of  conduA.  Holiness  loves  its 
enemies,  and  returns  good  for  evil.  It  is  humble  without  baseness,  bold 
without  impudence,   plain  and  faithful,  but  not  hateful  and  abusive. 

^.  Sutton. 


THE  TRUTH  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  RELIGION. 

The  Christian  religion  bears  the  seal  of  truth  in  itself  Jesus  Christ  is 
its  fountain  and  founder.  It  rests  upon  his  person  and  zvork.  Faith  in 
his  person  and  work  is  the  ground  of  our  salvation,  for  this  brings  men 
into  communion  with  God  the  Father.  If  Christ  is  what  he  claimed  to  be, 
his  religion  is  true.  And  who  can  show  that  he  was  not  what  he  claimed 
to  be  ?  But  the  do(5lrines  of  Christ  also  attest  the  truthfulness  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  He  taught  with  authority.  The  prophets  said,  "Thus  saith 
the  Lord."  But  Jesus  said,  "So  say  I."  The  doArines  of  Christ  are  just 
suited  to  the  wants  of  every  man.  Hence  the  Christian  religion  is  destined 
to  be  the  religion  of  the  whole  world.  Then,  all  who  believe  in  Jesus 
experience  the  power  of  God  in  being  created  anew  in  the  image  of  God 
and  in  being  sandlified  through  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Christian  religion 
is  from  God  and  leads  to  God.  It  is  the  religion  that  makes  men  happy 
in  time    and    eternity.     It   is  what  the   soul   of  man  needs   and  what  God 

approves. 

Win.  Mittendorf 


October  19. 
Rev.  Wm.  R.  Rliinehart,  1800.         Rev.  James  E.  Bowersox,  1817. 


October  20. 
Rev.  1,.  1,.  Hager,  1825. 


325 


THE  BAPTISM  OF  POWER. 

If  need  be,  I  would  stop  every  item  of  machinery  in  the  Church  —  our 
colleges,  seminaries,  and  printing-press;  yes,  I  would  stop  all  our  mis- 
sionaries in  the  field,  all  our  bishops,  pastors,  editors,  teachers,  and  agents, 
everjrthing, — until  we  receive  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  But  some 
one  may  say  that  we  could  not  afford  to  lose  so  much  time.  Better  lose 
forty  days  from  aAive  work  and  receive  the  baptism  of  power  than  at- 
tempt to  go  forward  without  it.  The  apostles  gained  time  by  waiting  for 
the  Holy  Spirit,  for  when  he  came  they  did  more  in  a  day  than  they 
could  have  done  in  months  without  it.  But  we  need  not  stop  our  machin- 
ery. We  can  work  right  on,  trusting  and  praying.  But  come  as  it  may, 
we  must  have  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  or  lose  all  power  for  doing 
good.  To  receive  this  much  -  needed  power  we  must  make  a  full  and  com- 
plete consecration  of  all  we  have  and  are  to  God. 

J.    Weaver. 


THE  TOMB  OF  OUR  SAVIOR. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  a  second  visit  to  the  tomb  of  Christ  I  found  an 
experience  quite  unlike  to  that  of  the  first.  I  was  alone.  It  was  no  dis- 
appointment that  my  Lord  was  not  there.  I  looked  not  for  the  appear- 
ance of  the  angels.  It  was  to  an  empty  tomb  that  I  approached.  The 
resurredlion  scene  rose  before  me  like  a  pageant  of  spiritual  glory.  I  was 
on  the  other  side  of  the  grave.  I  stood  beside  the  vacated  tomb.  It  was 
the  empty  tomb  of  our  crucified  and  risen  Lord.  I  had  often  stood  by 
the  grave  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  dead  ;  I  had  often  knelt  at  the 
grave  where  buried  loved  ones  had  been  placed  to  moulder  back  to  the 
unwelcome  dust.  Not  so  now,  by  some  wonderful  transition  I  was  now  on 
the  deathless  side  of  the  tomb.  I  knelt  in  the  foot -prints  of  the  feet 
which  had  gotten  up  and  walked  out  of  the  dominion  of  death.  I  was  on 
the  other  side  of  the  tomb;  somewhere  between  the  grave  and  the  gate  of 
the  heavenly  city.  Jesus  and  the  angels  were  there.  Around  me  were  col- 
ledled  the  glorified  with  whom  the  bitterness  of  death  is  past.  It  was  a 
precious  hour ;  it  was  a  heavenly  moment.  I  was  beyond  the  touch  and 
sting  of  death.  I  was  crowned  with  the  vi(5lory  over  the  grave.  I  was  on 
the  eternal  side  of  all  things.  I  was  where  there  is  no  death;  neither 
sorrow  nor  crying.  Even  now  I  seem  to  wish  I  could  gather  up  my  loved 
ones  and  be  again  and  forever  there.  J.  W.  Hott. 

326 


October  21. 


October  22. 


327 


AI^EXANDBR  OWEN'S   HOMK. 

In  Mr.  Owen's  home  we  found  what  we  have  always  regarded  as  the 

most  perfe(5l   family  government  we   have   ever  known.     The    children   at 

the    time    of   which   we   write  were    numerous,    and    all  of   them    young. 

There  might  be  ample  occasion  for  conflicts  and  miniature  rebellions,  but 

we  never  saw  any.     Nor  did  we  ever  hear  any  hurried  or  emphatic  words, 

or  see  any  special  exhibition  of  authority.     Yet  authority,   quiet,   steady, 

unyielding,  was  there,  and   obedience  seemed   perfedl.     We   will   not   here 

undertake  to  say  to   whom,  the   dead    or  the   living,  the   greater   honor  for 

this  belongs;  but  we  refer  to  the  fadl  as  presenting  a  strong  negative  to  a 

common    allegation    against    the    government    and    training    of  ministers' 

families. 

D.  Berger. 


I^ASTING    IMPRESSIONS. 

How   lasting   are   the    impressions   of   childhood  and   the    memories   of 

home.      What  our  mothers  do  there  will  never  be  forgotten.       The  smiles, 

the    kind  words,    the    counsels,    the    prayers,    the    tears,    how    fondly   the 

memory  treasures  them  all  up;  and    in  after- years,   when  home    is   broken 

up  and  mother  laid  in  the  grave,  when  time  has  crowded  out  many  recol- 

ledlions  or  buried  them  deeply  beneath  the   rubbish  of  perplexing  cares, 

still  the  true   heart   will   never  lose   the    impressions    of  youth   nor   cease 

to  thank  God  upon  every  remembrance  of  a  pious,  good,  devoted  mother. 

A  dying  soldier  whispered  three  words  —  the  sweetest  in  our  language  — 

^^ mother,    country,    God."      Should    every   idea    I   ever    acquired   through 

life  fade  from  my  memory,    these   three   thoughts    would   be  the   last   and 

most  sacred  —  my   mother,    who   makes  my  home;   my   country   that   gives 

me  liberty;  my  God,  who  saves  mother  and  country. 

/.    W.  Etter. 


328 


October  23. 
Rev.  J.  L.  TvUttrell,  1829. 


October  24. 
Rev.  Chester  Briggs,  1821. 


329 


RIGHT  TO   BE   HAPPY. 

Why  should  we  not  rejoice,  we  who  are  children  of  a  King;  we  whose 

sins   have   been   blotted    out,   and    a    hope    of  eternal   life   born  within   us? 

Hath   not   the    inspired   apostle    said,    "For   all   things   are   yours;  whether 

Paul,  or  ApoUos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present, 

or  things  to  come;  all  are  yours;  and  ye  are  Christ's;  and  Christ  is  God's." 

If  there  is  a  man  in  all  the  universe  who  has  a  right  to  rejoice  and  to  sing 

songs  daily,   it  is  the  man  described  above,  who   is  the  heir  of  all  things. 

How  we  misrepresent  our  relationship  when  we  go  mourning  all  the  day, 

constantly  bemoaning  our  poverty,   and  yet  gloriously  rich;   bewailing  our 

weakness,   yet   heirs  to  all   strength;   grieved   at  what   seems   only  humble 

birth,   yet   children    of  the    King   of   kings;    sad   that   our  years  must  soon 

close,   and  yet  heirs  of  everlasting  life.     Alas!   we    are  ungrateful  children 

of  an  indulgent  Father. 

H.  A.    Thompson. 


THE   GOVERNMENT   OF   CHII^DREN. 

The  extent  of  human  government  can  not  be  compassed  successfully. 
Govern  the  youth,  and  a  large  share  of  their  comfort  and  happiness  is 
secured.  It  extends  from  their  earliest  years,  with  tottering  feet  and 
lisping  tongue,  through  a  maturer  life  to  man,  as  a  shock  of  corn,  ready 
to  be  gathered  to  his  fathers.  It  has  to  do  with  the  boy  from  the  home 
to  the  school.  It  is  not  a  surface  -  work,  but  enters  the  life  of  a  pupil,  and 
follows  him  into  the  holy  of  holies  of  his  profoundest  experiences.  It  goes 
with  him  into  manhood  and  business  life,  pronouncing  upon  him  bene- 
didlions  or  breathing  forth  curses.  It  is  with  him  in  the  obligations  of  his 
fatherhood,  and  strengthens  or  weakens  him  in  these  the  most  important 
ties  of  human  life.  It  pursues  him  in  his  recognition  of  the  brotherhood 
of  man,  and  supports  him  as  a  philanthropist  or  enthrones  as  a  misan- 
thrope. It  enters  into  his  characfter,  and  can  not  be  bound  by  the  lines 
of  earthly  measurements,  reaching  within  the  discovered  but  unrevealed 
relations  of  that  "country  where  the  my.stery  of  this  strange  life  is  solved, 
and  the  most  needy  heart  must  lay  down  its  burden  at  last." 

W.  M.  Beardshear, 

330 


October  25. 
Bishop  John  Coons,  1797.        Rev.  Elias  Van  Demark,  1805. 


October  26. 
Rev.  Jacob  S.  Kessler,  1812. 


33^ 


"THAT  SETTI<ES  AI.I.." 

We  remember  reading  of  an  old  Scotchman  who  was  accustomed,  when 

some  point  was  in  dispute,  to  say,  "Hand  me  your  Bible; that  settles  all." 

Now,  of  course  we  understand  that  there  are  some  questions  which  the 

Bible    does    not    propose    to    settle.      There   are  some  such    questions  in 

science,  in  history,  and  in  other  fields  of  inquiry  and  thought.     But  all 

the  great  questions  relating  to  our  condudl  in  life  are  fully  settled  in  the 

word  of  God.     In  it  God  has  laid  down  the  rules  by  which  we  must  live. 

And  he   is   a   wise   man  who   daily  studies   these   rules  as   settled  by  God 

himself,   and  does  his  utmost  to  shape  his  life  according  to  the  principles 

God  has  laid  down. 

D.  Berger. 


TRIBUTE   TO   OTTERBEIN. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  aclivily.  In  labors  he  was  abundant.  He  was 
instant  in  season  and  out  of  season.  Impressed  with  the  importance  of 
his  work,  and  also  with  the  limited  time  in  which  to  do  it,  he  consecrated 
himself,  soul,  body,  and  spirit,  to  its  accomplishment.  He  was  a  man 
of  superior  talent  and  learning.  His  fine  powers  of  imagination  seldom 
failed  to  furnish  him  with  the  most  happy  allusions  and  illustrations  that 
enabled  him  to  bring  the  truth  within  the  grasp  of  all  his  hearers.  He 
studied  men  rather  than  oratory.  He  was  a  man  of  pure  and  spotless 
chara£ler.  He  had  the  greatest  regard  and  reverence  for  the  laws  of  God. 
Light,  chaffy,  and  trifling  conversation  found  no  ready  listener  in  him. 
Yet  he  was  a  pleasant  and  affable  Christian  gentleman,  and  easy  of  ap- 
proach to  all.  He  was  a  man  of  great  benevolence.  It  is  stated  by  those 
who  knew  him  personally  that  he  literally  gave  away  all  he  acquired. 
Servant  of  the  living  God,  farewell.  With  sad  hearts  and  eyes  red  with 
weeping  we  turn  away  from  thy  honored  grave  on  Howard  Hill  to  mingle 
with  thy  spirit  and  to  transfer  the  excellences  of  [thy  pure  and  useful  life 
into  our  own  /.  Baltzell. 

532 


October  27. 
Rev.  W.  W.  Richardson,  i8ii.         Prof.  J.  P.  I^andis,  D.  D.,  1843. 


October  28. 


333 


EDUCATED  MEN. 

Who  first  conceived  the  glorious  idea  of  sending  the  gospel  to  heathen 
countries  from  the  American  churches?  Who  have  been  and  are  now  the 
most  able  defenders  of  our  holy  religion  ?  What  class  of  men  are  now 
being  used  under  God  to  give  the  Scriptures  to  all  nations  under  heaven  ? 
How  you  delight  to  read  the  Scriptures  in  your  own  native  tongue.  Do 
you  know  the  instrument  used  in  giving  you  this  precious  treasure  ?  Ex- 
amine your  library,  and  ask  yourself  the  question,  Who  wrote  those  ad- 
mirable works  in  defense  of  that  religion  which  is  dearer  to  you  than  life? 
In  all  these  cases  the  answer  is  one  and  ever  the  same  —  educated  men. 

L.  Davis,  iS^2. 


JOY   IN   GETTING   HOME. 

Have  you  ever  been  away  from  your  father's  house,  and  for  a  long  time 
have  not  seen  his  face  ?  Then  you  know  what  it  is  to  visit  the  scenes  of 
your  childhood,  to  enter  the  threshold  of  the  old  homestead,  to  behold  the 
face  of  him  who  tenderly  loved  you,  to  grasp  the  hand  of  him  who  shel- 
tered you  from  the  storm,  to  sit  by  the  side  of  him  who  guided  your 
youth,  bore  with  your  infirmities,  soothed  your  sorrows,  and  bestowed  on 
you  the  ministries  of  a  father's  love.  Ah!  I  know  of  no  place  on  earth 
more  sacred  than  father's  house.  I  know  of  no  company  more  precious 
than  father's  company.  But  think  of  the  joy  that  shall  fill  our  souls  when 
we  arrive  at  the  eternal  home,  enter  our  Father's  house,  and  behold  his 
face  in  righteousness,  and  by  the  power  of  his  infinite  tenderness  and 
love  be  drawn  into  such  nearness  with  him  as  to  repose  in  his  bosom  with 

infinite  satisfa(5lion  and  delight. 

G.  M.  Mathews. 


334 


October  29. 


October  30. 


335 


THE   BLESSEDNESS    OF   GIVING. 

There  are  some  blessings  that  people  generally  do  not  seek  for.  Is  it 
because  we  do  not  believe  the  word,  or  is  it  because  the  love  of  this 
world  and  self  have  been  allowed  to  bind  us  with  chains  that  can  not  be 
broken?  The  apostle  says,  "Remember  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
how  he  said,  It  is  more  blessed  [that  is,  it  is .  a  greater  happiness]  to 
give  than  to  receive."  Reader,  have  you  ever  given  till  you  were  real 
happy?  Are  you  afraid  to  try  it?  Take  God's  word  for  it,  and  give  to 
him  of  your  earthly  stores  till  you  are  happy.  Somewhere  we  have  seen 
the  record  of  a  very  short  missionary  sermon.  It  was  this  text;  "He  that 
hath  pity  upon  the  poor  lendeth  to  the  L,ord;  "  sermon,  "If  you  like  the 
securit}',  down  with  the  cash."  Do  we  not  miss  the  blessing  by  not  hav- 
ing full  confidence  in  the  security  ?  The  blessing  does  not  come  to  those 
only  who  give  large  sums,  but  to  every  one  who  gives  "as  the  lyord  has 
prospered  him."  Neither  does  he  whom  the  Lord  has  given  great  wealth 
receive  the  full  measure  of  blessing,  by  giving  only  as  much  as  a  neigh- 
bor who  is  not  worth  half  as  much  as  he.  There  is  no  doubt, —  there  is 
always  a  blessing;  blessing  in  the  consciousness  that  we  have  the  means 
of  doing  good;  blessing  in  entering  into  fellowship  with  God,  who  is 
always  giving;  blessing  in  the  knowledge  that  some  one  has  joy  by  our 
giving.  To  secure  this  blessing,  giving  must  not  be  done  to  keep  up  ap- 
pearances, or  to  be  like  other  people,  or  to  gain  a  reputation;  but  first 
having  received  Christ  himself  into  our  hearts  we  are  /wzpelled,  not  com- 
pelled,  to  give ;  and  when  we  fully  ' '  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  that  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sake  he  became  poor,"  we 
will  never  feel  that  we  have  given  him  enough.  We  are  responsible  to 
God  for  all  we  have,  and  should  carry  on  our  business  here  as  "unto  the 
Lord."     Oh!  that  we  might  all  believe   and   fully  realize  the  blessedness 

of  giving. 

MiS.  L.  R.  Keiste}-. 


336 


GATHER  THE  HARVEST  IN. 

Behold  the  harvest  fields  are  white, 

Gather  the  harvest  in; 
Amid  the  blaze  of  gospel  light, 

Gather  the  harvest  in. 

Young  toilers  in  the  Master's  cause, 

Gather  the  harvest  in; 
Fear  not  to  shun  the  world's  applause, 

Gather  the  harvest  in. 

I<et  every  servant  of  the  Lord, 

Gather  the  harvest  in; 
And  have  their  sheaves  securely  stored, 

Gather  the  harvest  in. 

Then  when  our  work  on  earth  is  done. 
We'll  shout  the  har\'est  home; 

And  then  with  God's  beloved  Son, 
We'll  shout  the  harvest  home. 

-S'.  J.  Grahajn. 


GOING  HOME  AT  I,AST. 

The  evening  shades  are  falling. 

Our  sun  is  sinking  fast; 
The  holy  One  is  calling, 

We're  going  home  at  last. 

The  road's  been  long  and  dreary, 
The  toils  come  thick  and  fast; 

In  body  weak  and  weary, 
We're  going  home  at  last. 

We  now  are  neariug  heaven. 
And  soon  shall  be  at  rest; 

Our  crowns  will  soon  be  given. 
We're  going  home  at  last. 

Oh,  praise  the  lyord  forever, 
Our  sorrows  are  all  past; 

We'll  part  no  more,  no  never, 
We  are  at  home  at  last. 

W.  Gossett. 


iITMMb-e; 


A  PRAYER. 

0  God!  thou  canst  thy  people  hear; 
Forever  open  is  thine  ear. 

As  incense  sweet  their  prayers  arise 

Before  thy  throne  above  the  skies. 

Oh  let  a  trembling  mortal  now 

Before  thy  footstool  humbly  bow, 

And  ask  for  grace  thy  will  to  do, 

While  storms  and  conflidts  passing  through. 

Forbid  that  .Satan's  fiery  dart 
Shouldst  reach  thy  servant's  trusting  heart. 
Forbid  that  he  should  w^ounded  fall, 
Or  cast  away  his  shield,  like  Saul. 
Why  should  Philistia's  chiefs  rejoice. 
And  triuiuph  in  thy  people's  loss? 
Thou  hast  all  power,  and  none  can  stay 
Thy  potent  arm  upraised  to  slay. 

Kingdoms  arise  at  thy  command, 
And  fall  in  ruins  by  thy  hand; 
The  proud  waves  can  not  overflow 
When  thou  shalt  say,  "No  further  go." 

1  would  be  thine  and  do  thy  will; 
O  bid  my  stormy  fears  be  still, 
And  give  a  quiet  to  my  soul, 
lyike  Galilee's,  at  thy  control. 


L.  L.  Hager. 


339 


A   GOOD  TIME. 

To  many,  a  good  time  means  an  unceasing  round  of  pleasure  —  of  danc- 
ing, of  theaters,  of  euclire  -  parties,  of  gay  dissipation  and  frivolity.  With 
some  it  means  the  wine -cup,  the  saloon,  rude  and  boisterous  hilarity,  and 
even  inebriation.  The  really  good  time  is  that  which  takes  hold  on  the 
purer  and  ennobling  things  of  life;  the  things  which  conduce  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  highest   and  truest  forms   of  manhood  and  womanhood;  the 

things  which  please  God  and  lead  to  eternal  life. 

D.  Bersrer. 


THE   DIGNITY   OF  THE   MINISTRY. 

The  preacher  is  to  fill  a  wonderful  sphere  of  influence.  Were  the  pulpit 
silenced,  and  no  one  left  to  proclaim  the  gospel,  the  world  would  soon 
lapse  into  heathenism;  but  ministers  become  guardians  of  public  virtue, 
and  propagators  of  the  true  spirit  of  progress.  It  has  been  observed  that 
nearly  all  our  colleges  were  originated  by  ministers,  and  that  many  of  our 
cities  and  towns  were  founded  by  them  in  the  wilderness.  They  stimulate 
thoughtfulness,  morality,  manliness,  Christianity,  and  all  the  virtues  of  a 
community,  which  are  forerunners  of  its  advancement.  They  elevate  society 
and  radiate  an  influence  that  lives  the  longest  and  deepest  in  the  hearts  of 
its  recipients.  Every  one  born  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  kept  there 
through  their  labors,  is  a  lasting  monument  of  their  efforts,  living  to  per- 
petuate  the   greatness   of  their  work,    not   only  to   the   third   and   fourth 

generations,  but  through  the  eternal  ages. 

*  J.  W.  Etter. 


340 


November  i. 


November  2. 


341 


THE   HIGHER  TRAINING. 

Our  mental  training  fits  lis  for  the  present  life;  our  moral  training  is 
for  the  life  which  lies  beyond.  And  since  our  present  life  is  but  a  frag- 
ment of  our  real  existence,  how  much  more  important  is  it  that  the  work 
for  the  future  exceed  the  work  for  the  present.  Mind  -  culture  and  soul- 
culture  should  go  together  as  handmaids;  but  let  the  culture  of  the  soul 
be  elevated  above  the  culture  of  the  mind.  An  idiotic  brain  is  no  barrier 
to  the  tree  of  life;  but  an  educated  mind,  however  developed,  destitute  of 
the  proper  moral  training,  can  never  enter  the  gates  of  the  upper  city.  A 
sandlified  mind  and  a  sandlified  life  give  assurance  of  a  glorious  future. 

J.  H.  Snyder. 


SETTI.ED    CONVICTIONS. 

There  are  many  who  see  the  right  on  all  moral  questions.  They  can 
not  help  seeing  it  if  they  but  open  their  eyes.  But  what  we  want  is  more 
men  who  not  only  see,  but  feel  duty;  into  whose  very  souls  truth  and  the 
love  of  it  are  burned.  None  but  such  can  be  relied  upon  in  the  world's 
fierce  and  trying  moral  confli(5ls.  Others  shrink  and  often  betray  the  most 
sacred  trusts.  But  while  the  conventional  adherents  of  truth  thus  in  the 
hour  of  trial  desert  her,  those  who  from  principle  love  her  stand  faithful 
and  unmoved  by  her  side.  While  the  world's  stage  has  been  disgraced 
by  many  scenes  in  which  none  but  moral  cowards  played  a  part,  it  has 
also  been  honored  by  the  deeds  and  lives,  the  martyr  deaths,  of  most 
heroic  men.  They  have  under  God  preserved  his  truth  untainted,  in  spite 
of  surrounding  error  and  corruption,  and  kept  the  world's  movement 
steadily  onward.  They  deserve  the  gratitude  of  every  age  that  has  fol- 
lowed them,   and  of  ages  yet  to  come. 

L.  Bookwalte7'. 


342 


NOVBMBER  3. 


November  4. 


SYMPATHY  WITH  THK  SORROWING. 

We  walk  to  eternity  amid  the  graves  of  our  loved  ones.  In  the  bustle 
and  toil  and  care  of  life  we  overlook  the  fadl  that  at  every  hand  and  on 
every  side  of  us  men  and  women  and  even  children  carry  sorrowing  hearts. 
What  mean  these  wailings  of  mothers'  broken  hearts  which  come  up  from 
beside  the  little  snow-white  and  flower- wreathed  caskets  in  which  sleeps 
the  angel  form,  which,  dying,  took  out  a  part  of  the  mother's  heart?  Do 
they  not  tell  us  of  the  deathless  love  of  a  mother?  Hear  those  deep  throb- 
bings  of  the  strong  man's  heart  as  he  kneels  beside  the  dying  form  of  a 
darling  daughter  or  a  loved  son.  They  are  the  deep  tones  of  the  soul  as 
it  vibrates  under  the  touch  of  the  death -hand  reaching  out  from  eternity. 
They  are  the  wailings  of  the  heart  awfully  chastened  by  mortality.  Still, 
tliey  tell  us  the  tremendous  power  and  struggle  of  love  in  moments  when 
its  objedl  goes  down  in  the  seething  whirlpool  of  death.  Hast  thou  never 
had  thine  own  heart-strings  broken?  Hast  thou  never  listened  to  that 
inexpressibly  pitiful  cry  of  the  orphan  who  looked  for  the  last  time  in  the 
dead  face  of  a  loving  mother,  and  didst  thou  not  feel  thy  heart  sinking 
within  thee?  /.   fF.  Hott. 

INSPIRATION   OF  THE   CROSS. 

Under  the  light  of  the  cross,  in  sight  of  the  nails  and  the  spear,  and 
in  hearing  of  the  heart-rending  and  soul  -  piercing  cries  of  the  anointed 
of  God,  we  catch  the  healing  stream,  are  baptized  with  the  prophetic  fire, 
and  filled  with  evangelical  love.  In  the  light  of  the  cross  differences  are 
forgotten,  prejudices  fade  away,  and  race  and  color,  advantages  and  dis- 
advantages of  birth  and  education,  are  thrown  into  the  background,  while 
geographical  differences  between  distindt  nationalities  shorten,  and  under 
the  powerful  microscope  of  truth  form  the  central  foreground  of  the  great 
dramatic  pidlure  of  evangelism.  Let  such  a  pi<5lure  be  hung  upon  the 
walls  of  every  church -house  in  our  Zion,  and  studied  by  all  our  people; 
chalked  upon  the  blackboard  in  every  Sunday  -  school  throughout  the 
church,  and  explained  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  young  men 
and  women,  boys  and  girls,  every  Sabbath  in  the  year.  Yea  more,  let  it 
be  sketched  upon  the  parlor  and  kitchen  walls  of  fifty  thousand  homes  of 
the  church,  and  in  a  few  brief  months  depleted  treasuries  will  be  replen- 
ished, and  abundant  means  supplied  for  the  extension  and  prosecution  of 
our  mission -work.  J.  L.  Luttrell. 

344 


November  5. 


November  6. 
Bishop  Iv.  B.  Kephart,  D.  D.,  1834. 


345 


MUCH  TO   BE   DONE. 

If  all  the  heathen,  those  who  never  heard  of  Christ,  were  arranged  in 

one  unbroken  line,  giving  every  man  one  foot  of  space  on  which  to  stand, 

the  line  would  go  around  the  world  more  than  six  times,  or  one  line  six 

men  deep;   and  if  we   should  allow  each  file  of  six  men  one  minute — just 

one — to    look    in    that   door   and   ask   the   all  -  important   question,    "What 

must  I  do   to   be    saved?"    it  would   take  two    hundred    and   fifty  years   for 

tjiat  line   to   pass;    and  when  the   last   one  had  passed,  the   first  would  be 

many  years  in  heaven  or  hell,  according  as  you  and  I  have  done  our  duty 

faithfully.     Oh   reader,   there  is  much  to  be   done;   and   it  must  be   done 

quickly,  too. 

G.  A.  Funkhouser. 


ABOUT  DIFFERENCES. 

Differences  are  not  usually  very  serious  if  kept  within  the  compass 
of  the  doctrine  and  spirit  of  the  thirteenth  chaper  of  I.  Corinthians. 
Somebody  says  there  is  more  than  seeing  on  all  sides  of  a  thing.  "It  is 
to  have  the  charit}'  to  believe  that  there  is  still  another  side."  We  must 
not  think  the  bottom's  out  of  the  universe  because  our  pint  cup  has  sprung 
a  leak.  I  believe  it  was  layman  Beecher  that  said  the  politicians  have  had 
the  country  ruined  a  great  many  times.  This  is  quite  common  when  some 
cherished  scheme  does  not  succeed,  or  when  some  views  or  measures  of  the 
opposite  party  obtain.  We  may  think  all  is  lost  because  certain  things 
prevail  that  we  greatly  disrelish,  and  with  which  we   have   long  been  out 

of  conceit. 

N.   Castle. 


346 


November  7. 


(^h\  d^^  .(y^-zjo^^c^y^'Q'^^s^^ 


November  8. 


347 


the;  word  of  god. 

Here  are  the  breathings  of  holy  love,  the  songs  of  praise  and  joy,  the 

humble  and  contrite  confession  and  the  ecstacy  of  pardon,   reproof  for  the 

transgressor,  instruction  for  the  ignorant,   comfort  for  the  comfortless,  joy 

for  the   sorrowing,  promise   and  hope    for    the   despairing,    mercy  for  the 

penitent,  and  everlasting  life  for  the  believing.      The  Bible  carries  with  it 

a  holy  atmosphere:  and  he  who  lives  much  in  the   Bible  breathes  in  this 

divine  influence,  which  is  as  refreshing  and  invigorating  to  his  spiritual 

nature  as  the  June  atmospheric  air  is  to  his  physical  system.     This  divine 

truth  is  the  nutriment  of  the  soul,  upon  which,  if  it  feed,  it  will  grow  fat 

and  become  "strong  in  the  L,ord. " 

J.  P.  Landis. 


PUBLIC  SPIRIT. 

Men  are  per  force  social  beings,  and  there  are  a  thousand  concessions 
and  contributions  that  each  is  called  to  make  to  the  general  good.  A  re- 
sponse to  these,  calls,  without  the  hope  of  individual  return,  is  very 
analogous  to  the  disinterested  care  the  Deity  has  for  men.  But  the 
general  welfare  and  the  improvement  of  the  individual  fortune  are 
inseparable.  Rarely  anything  is  given  for  the  public  benefit  that  does 
not  return,  increased  many  times,  to  reward  the  generous  giver.  If  we 
were  called  upon  to  designate  the  unworthiest  of  men,  we  would  instin(5l- 
ively  point  to  the  person  destitute  of  public  spirit.  The  man  whose  con- 
cern reaches  not  beyond  himself  is  undeserving  of  human  associations, 
and  he  who  can  consent  within  himself  to  enjoy  the  benefits  and  im- 
munities purchased  by  the  money  and  toil  of  others  is  a  very  incubus  on 
the  body  of  society.  Nothing  is  more  certain  than  that  such  selfishness 
defeats  its  own  ends. 

A.  W.  Drury, 


348 


November  9. 


November  10. 


349 


HOME    MEMORIES. 

There  is  much  that  unites  the  heart  about  our  childhood  homes.  There 
is  a  tenderness,  a  slow  sadness  that  comes  to  us  when  we  remember  all 
the  past;  and  see  how  changed  is  all,  save  the  love  of  those  who  still  re- 
n^ain,  which  has  grown  purer  and  stronger.  In  the  presence  of  all  this, 
th_  heart  bows  down  before  friendship,  love,  and  change.  But  in  the  old 
home -church,  where  childhood  first  learned  to  love  and  trust  God;  at  the 
old,  familiar  spot  where  day  after  day  throngh  years,  in  lonely,  secret, 
struggling  prayer  the  soul  found  help  in  Christ  and  plighted  itself  away  to 
him  again  and  again, —  in  these  places, — the  heart  breaks  down  before  the 
lyord,  and  the  flames  of  a  new  life  seem  to  be  kindling.  It  is  worth  miles 
and  even  days  of  travel  to  be  able  to  put  down  the  knees  on  the  same  old 
spot,  and  there  empty  the  heart  to  the  same  God.  But  why  does  memory 
conne(5l  these  two  places  with  each  other?  Why  has  God  connected  them? 
The  Christian  knows  why. 

/.  IF.  Hott. 


WALKING    WITH    GOD. 

"And  Enoch  walked  with  God:  and  he  was  not:  for  God  took  him." 
The  meaning  here  is  that  he  enjoyed  constant  communion  with  Jehovah. 
The  fellowship  was  complete.  The  unity  was  of  the  purest  and  sublimest 
type.  He  talked  with  his  Maker  as  with  a  friend.  Yea,  more;  God  di- 
refted  his  footsteps,  controlled  his  thoughts,  filling  his  soul  with  love  and 
peace.  His  was  a  daily  baptism  of  delight.  In  the  same  sense  the  true 
Christian  to-day  walks  with  God.  Fellowship  with  the  divine  now  is  the 
same  as  in  Enoch's  day.  Religion  has  always  been  the  same  and  ever  will 
be.  No  turning  aside  for  three  hundred  years.  While  the  influences 
about  him  were  most  likely  unfavorable  to  such  a  life,  he  remained  un- 
moved. His  communion  with  the  L,ord  grew  sweeter  and  richer  constantly 
as  the  years  passed  by,  and  as  he  evidently  witnessed  the  increase  of 
wickedness  among  his  brethren.  "He  had  this  testimony  that  he  pleased 
God."  Backsliding  was  no  part  of  his  creed.  His  "heart  was  fi.xed." 
He  meant  to  keep   God  with   him  on  this  side  that  he  might    forever   be 

with  God  on  the  other  side. 

W.  M.   Weekley. 

350 


November  ii. 
President  David  D.  DeI,ong,  D.  D.,  1S46.         Rev.  George  W.  Rose,  1852. 


November  12. 


351 


THE  LORD'S   PRAYER. 

To  acknowledge  with  the  whole  soul  that  the  kingdom,  power,  and 
glory  of  all  things  belong  to  God  is  the  state  of  humility  that  can  not  be 
led  into  temptations  through  the  greatest  of  temporal  or  spiritual  blessings. 
The  beginning  and  end  of  the  L,ord's  Prayer  expresses  an  acknowledg- 
ment of  God  in  such  a  way  as  to  admit  that  all  things  belong  to  him;  while 
in  asking  for  daily  bread,  and  for  the  spirit  of  forgiving  and  not  to  be  led 
into  temptation,  is  the  acknowledgment  of  utter  dependence.  The  whole 
prayer  is  therefore  an  acknowledgment  of  God's  love,  wisdom,  and  power, 
and  our  need  of  these,  as  well  as  our  dependence  upon  him  for  them. 
Prayer  is,  therefore,  the  acknowledgment  of  God,  and  a  desire  to  be  better 
fitted  for  the  higher  blessings  which  are  ever  ready  to  be  bestowed  upon  all. 

/.  R.  Hoffer. 


vSAVED. 

In  reference  to  this  life,  this  word  has  a  thrilling  import,  a  meaning 
inexpressible;  but  in  reference  to  the  life  that  is  to  come  its  significance  is 
far-reaching  and  boundless  for  who  can  tell  in  all  its  meaning  what  it  is  to 
be  saved  forever  and  for  evermore  in  the  land  that  is  without  a  shadow  and 
without  a  tear?  Who  has  ever  weighed  it  in  the  scales  and  estimated  its 
true  weight  —  "exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory?"  The  soul  that  is 
here  saved  in  the  blood  of  Jesus  approximates  this  weight  of  glory,  receives 
a  foretaste  of  it,  for  grace  in  the  soul  is  glory  begun.  But  the  full  measure 
of  it  —  its  completeness — will  only  be  fuUj'  comprehended  when  "we  see 
as  we  are  seen,  and  know  even  also  as  we  are  known,"  "when  the  mist 
has  cleared  away."  Who  can  now  tell  the  rapture  of  that  soul  when  it  first 
reaches  the  land  of  bliss  and  repeats,  "I  am  saved?"  And  all  the  com- 
pany of  earth's  purified  millions  exclaim,  "Saved!  Thank  God,  we  are 
saved!"  Rapturous  moment!  Grand  scene!  Glorious  rest!  Here  I  am  to 
abide  alwaj-s.     This  is  my  rest.     These  are  my  companions.     Saved,  saved! 

B.  F.  Booth. 


352 


[22] 


November  13. 


November  14. 


353 


HOW   TO    BE    HAPPY. 

Doing  good  is  one  among  the  chief  sources  of  man's  happiness.  I  once 
heard  a  man  who  had  begun  life  poor  and  acquired  a  fortune  say  that 
there  is  no  pleasure  in  having  money;  that  all  the  pleasure  is  in  making 
it,  and  in  that  there  is  real  pleasure.  He  had  not  learned  how  much 
there  is  to  be  enjoyed  in  giving.  To  feed  the  hungry,  to  clothe  the 
naked,  to  visit  the  afSi<5ted,  are  duties  upon  which  not  only  the  issues 
of  the  great  day  will  depend,  but  duties,  the  proper  discharge  of  which 
will  bring  much  of  heaven  to  us  here.  Nor  must  this  be  confined  to  the 
bestowment  of  temporal  good.  "  Charity  to  the  soul  is  the  soul  of  char- 
ity." To  lead  a  sinner  to  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  to  speak  words 
of  comfort  and  encouragement  to  the  distressed  penitent,  to  help  the 
weak  and  disheartened  over  the  rough  places  of  life,  brings  enjoyment 
of  the  richest  and  purest  kind. 

J.  Dickson. 


SCHOOL   AND    HOME)   TRAINING. 

The  life  of  a  pupil  whose  home  and  school  training  has  largely  proved 
a  failure,  makes  prominent  the  possibilities  of  an  available  future.  He 
thinks  of  the  future  by  the  past.  The  spell  that  binds  him  can  be  broken. 
L,et  the  prevailing  "I  can"  of  his  nature  blend  with  the  whisperings  "I 
ought."  The  affectionate  kiss  of  a  mother  incites  many  a  lad  to  attain- 
ments hitherto  given  up  in  despair.  A  kind  word,  an  encouraging  look, 
a  wise  counsel,  may  open  new  places  in  the  nature  of  the  youth  and  lift 
him  to  unexpected  acquirements  of  chara(5ter.  A  wise  governor  takes 
mischief  in  its  formative  state.  The  pupil  can  be  more  easily  controlled 
before  he  is  bent  on  and  set  to  miscondudl.  The  course  of  a  stream  may 
be  turned  on  the  mountain  summit.  The  wasp  readily  manages  the  spider 
in  the  &%^.  L,ead  the  pupil  to  a  voluntary  and  judicious  occupancy  of  his 
time.  A  busy  brain  shuts  out  a  thousand  whims  and  mischievous  devices 
which,  like    flies  about  a    sugar  -  hogshead  on   the   landing,    beset   an   idle 

mind. 

W.  M.  Beardshear. 


354 


NuVKMBKR    15. 

Rev.  James  W.  Hott,  D.  D.,  iS 


November  16. 


355 


THE   ONE   WAY. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to  imagine  a  case  which  would  have  more  per- 
fedlly  developed  the  great  truth  that  salvation  is  by  grace  than  this  one. 
The  thief  had  no  honor,  wealth,  nor  righteousness  to  plead.  He  had  no 
time  to  acquire  either.  If  saved  at  all,  it  must  be  by  grace.  Was  he  a  great 
sinner?  Then  Christ  was  a  great  vSavior.  He  magnified  his  grace  in  sav- 
ing him.  There  is  but  one  way  of  salvation  for  sinners,  and  that  way  is 
exemplified  in  the  salvation  of  the  penitent  thief  You  who  suppose  you 
have  some  just  distiniflion  for  wealth,  position  or  wisdom,  behold  the  only 
way  of  your  salvation  —  the  thief's.     Your  salvation   can   be  accomplished 

in  no  way  different  from  his. 

•  M'illiam  Davis. 


THE   CHILDREN. 

Care  for  the  children.  The  little  boy  of  to  -  day  will  be  the  preacher, 
and  teacher,  and  business  -  man  of  Kb  -  morrow.  The  little  girl  of  to  -  day 
will  be  the  tender  minister  of  the  home  to  -  morrow.  In  a  few  days,  the 
whole  mass  of  men  and  women  who  stand  in  the  current  of  toil  and  trade 
to  -  day  will  be  in  eternity,  and  the  children  you  now  pass  indifferently  by 
will  stand  in  their  places.  He  who  speaks  a  kind  word  to  the  child  of 
to-day  puts  a  smile  on  the  brow  of  to-morrow.  He  who  diredts  the 
current  of  thought,  affection,  and  pursuit  of  the  child  of  to-day,  makes 
the  destiny  of  to  -  morrow.  Care  for  the  children.  Your  chance  with  them 
is  now.  The  morning  tells  the  character  of  the  day.  Spare  the  sun  from 
the  cloud.  I,ittle  feet  step  swiftly,  and  these  will  soon  have  borne  these 
little  forms  where  you  can  not  get  your  hands  upon  them. 

/.   W.  Hotl. 


356 


November  17. 
Bishop  M.  Wright,  D.  D.,  1828. 


November  18. 
Rev.  Isaac  BennehofF,  1841. 


357 


HOME  A   REFUGE   OF  REST  AND  JOY. 

What  a  place  is  that  home  where  all  things  go  smoothly  and  pleasantly 
on!  How  the  weary  husband  turns  from  the  perplexing  scenes  of  outward 
life  to  the  quiet,  heaven -like  place  of  rest  and  joy,  his  own  dear,  sweet 
home!  As  he  plunges  into  this  sacred  retreat,  how  soon  are  all  his  cares 
lost  in  its  consoling  pleasures!  How  far  above  all  earthly  pleasures  is  that 
of  the  wife,  who,  after  having  snugly  tucked  away  her  children  to  their 
quiet  rest  and  sleep,  sits  down  to  an  evening's  social  chat  with  the  partner 
of  her  toils,  cares,  and  delights!  With  the  children  grown  up  it  is  all 
the  same.  Well  may  such  hallowed  surroundings  as  these  be  taken  to 
typify  heaven  our  final  home!  It  beautifully  foreshadows  the  beauty,  love- 
liness, and  desireableness  of  that  better  land. 

B.  F.  Booth. 


VALUE   OF  CULTURE. 

Some  are  in  favor  of  educating  the  bright  boys  and  negledling  the  plod- 
ding ones.  I  say,  educate  them  both.  They  both  are  equally  in  need  of 
education.  Do  not  repress,  but  foster,  the  aspirations  of  each  after  the 
good,  the  beautiful,  and  the  true.  Life  is  before  all  the  young,  and  its 
problems  must  be  solved.  The  solution  will  depend  much  upon  the 
culture  given.  Wealth  will  perish.  Culture  is  indestrucflible.  Culture 
will  be  of  value  beyond  the  grave.  To  educate  means  to  increase  the 
capacities  of  man  to  adl  and  to  enjoy;  means  to  awaken  the  whole  man 
to  a  just  realization  of  life  and  its  mission.  There  is  no  condition  in  the 
life  of  men  where  cultured  powers  are  not  of  very  great  value.  No  man 
can  afford  to  neglect  the  culture  of  body,  mind,  and  heart. 

G.  P.  Macklin. 


35S 


November  19. 


November  20. 


359 


EI.EMKNTS   OF  SUCCESS. 

Remember,  it  does  not  require  a  start  of  extraordinary  talent  to  be- 
come an  extraordinary  person.  The  fable  of  the  hare  and  tortoise  pos- 
sesses more  of  the  secret  of  the  success  of  remarkable  men  than  do  the 
marvels  of  the  Arabian  Nights.  Beware  of  an  erroneous  do(5lrine  of  cir- 
cumstances. No  wind  is  utterly  unfavorable  to  a  skillful  sailor.  The  seed 
on  the  mountain  side,  in  its  upward  search  for  light,  stops  not  for  the 
hinderance  of  the  rock,  but  embraces  it,  and  plants  itself  within  the  bosom 
of  the  everlasting  hills.  Whatever  you  do,  be  in  earnest.  EJarnestness  is 
the  burning  coals  which  give  the  ore  its  useful  shapes  and  make  the  earth 
hum  with  its  industries.  An  enthusiastic  bee  is  more  powerful  and  ef- 
fective than  a  drowsy  elephant.  Be  possessed  of  an  intelligent  earnest- 
ness. Fuss  and  feathers  may  give  expression  to  a  bantam  hen,  and  that, 
too,  a  very  small   one  of  the  kind.     Season    your   enthusiasm  with  '•eason 

and  weight  it  with  judgment. 

W.  M.  Beardsheat . 


EXAMPLES   OF  HUMILITY. 

"Whosoever  shall  humble  himself  as  this  little  child,  the  .same  is  greatest 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  We  have  so:ne  noble  examples  of  humility 
recorded  in  the  Bible  —  Elijah  in  the  wilderness  sitting  under  a  juniper- 
tree,  requesting  that  he  might  die  because  he  was  no  better  than  his 
father;  David,  who  was  sought  after  by  Saul  as  a  lion  seeketh  his  prey; 
Daniel  in  the  king's  court,  interpreting  his  dream;  John  the  Baptist,  as- 
serting that  he  was  not  the  Christ  but  the  "Voice  of  one  crying  in  the 
wilderness;"  Peter  at  the  gate  of  the  temple  declaring  that  it  was  not  by 
his  own  power  or  holiness  that  the  lame  man  was  healed,  but  gave  to 
Jesus  all  the  glory;  and  as  Cornelius  fell  at  his  feet  he  told  him  to  stand 
up,  that  he  himself  was  a  man.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  after  Paul  had  healed 
the  people  who  would  do  them  homage,  showed  their  humility  by  rend- 
ing their  clothes  and  beseeching  them  to  give  to  God  all  the  glory.  Paul 
in  his  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  says  that  he  is  not  worthy  to  be 
called  an  apostle,  and  to  the  Ephesians  he  says  that  he  is  less  than  the 
least  of  all  saints,  and  to  Timothy  that  he  was  the.  chief  of  sinners,  saved 
by  grace.  Bitt  greatest  of  all  is  the  example  of  humility  in  the  life  and 
death  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  a  name  given  him  which  is  above 
every  name.  J.  R.  Brown. 

360 


November  21. 


November  22. 


361 


GOING    HOMi:. 

Oh,  there  is  a  beauty,  a  sitblimity  far  beyond  description  in  the  Chris- 
tian's going  home!  Though  others  may  think  our  "simshine  without, 
clouds,  our  songs  without  sighs,  our  pleasures  without  pain,"  yet  "the 
heart  knoweth  its  own  bitterness,"  and  there  be  few  of  us  who  do  not 
long,  as  a  tired  child,  to  go  home.  I^ife  at  best  is  a  wearisome,  weari- 
some way,  where  clouds  gather  and  our  sun  is  ofttimes  hidden  from  us; 
but  "there   is  no  night  there." 

Maud  {Mary  A.  Share). 


HONOR  AND   HAPPINESS. 

Would  you  honor  your  Savior  ?  Then  keep  his  commandments.  Would 
you  be  happy  in  his  service?  '  Consecrate  your  all  to  him.  Would  you 
die  easy?  Then  live  well.  Would  you  be  crowned  with  glory?  Then 
seek  the  happiness  of  others.  Your  prayers  may  be  good  enough,  and 
your  sympathy  and  tears  of  human  kind,  but  without  the  divine  touch  to 
fill  the  soul  with  compassion  and  move  you  out  in  deeds  of  consecration 
and  devotion  to  the  claims  of  the  gospel,  and  the  demands  of  the  help- 
less, your  life  will  be  a  blank,  and  of  you  it  may  be  said. 

That  man  may  last,  but  never  lives, 

Who  much  receives,  but  nothing  gives: 

Creation's  blot,  creation's  blank. 

Whom  none  can  love,  whom  none  can  thank. 

J.  L.  Luttrell, 


362 


November  23. 


November  24. 


363 


PARENTS   AND   THE   MINISTRY. 

Parents  may  do  much  in  inspiring  their  sons  toward  the  gospel  minis- 
try. Not  long  ago  I  heard  a  mother  that  has  five  sons  in  the  ministry  say 
to  two  young  men  in  the  presence  of  their  parents,  "Perhaps  you  will  be 
ministers.  No  calling  is  higher  or  better."  The  fadl  of  such  mothers 
may  be  the  explanation  why  many  persons  wake  up  to  find  that  they  have 
a  call  to  the  ministry.  We  want  for  the  ministry  men  whose  hearts  God 
has  prepared,  of  such  charadler  and  diligence  as  to  commend  them  to  the 
church,  who  will  do  all  in  their  power  to  fit  themselves  for  their  duties, 
and  who  will  then  devote  themselves  wholly  to  the  ministry  as  their  life- 
work. 

A.  IF.  Driiry. 


THANKSGIVING    DAY. 

The  mercies  of  the  I,ord  have  not  failed,  and  his  beneficent  hands  have 
been  wide  open.  It  is  well  that  Thanksgiving  day  comes  to  turn  our 
faces  and  our  hearts  to  hini  whose  compassions  fail  not,  and  whose 
mercies  are  new  every  morning.  How  many  blessings  he  has  thrown  into 
the  lap  of  our  life.  In  all  homes  the  bestowment  is  not  the  same.  With 
some  business  has  been  more  prosperous  than  with  others.  With  some, 
life  and  health  have  been  sweeter  than  with  others.  Still,  God  is  every- 
where the  ever-present  Friend.  From  some  of  our  homes  members  of  our 
families  have  gone  out  to  build  up  homes  of  their  own.  There  is  a  son 
or  a  daughter  less  to  cherish  and  love.  From  some  of  oiir  homes  Jesus 
has  beckoned  one  or  two  to  come  up  and  be  where  he  is.  There  is  one 
less  to  caress,  one  less  to  love.  But  if  we  can  not  thank  the  Master  for 
their  removal,  we  can  look  through  our  blinding  tears  and  say,  "  It  was 
Father's  voice  that  called  them."  We  can  bless  his  name  for  the  life, 
and  light,  and  love  they  threw  into  our  homes  and  on  our  hearts  while 
they  were  yet  with  us.  In  some  homes  there  is  a  new  joy;  an  angel  face 
and  form  to  smile  on  our  pathway.  In  many  homes  the  children  have 
grown  taller  and  manlier  in  manhood,  and  sweeter  and  fairer  and  nobler 
in  womanhood.     Let  God  be  praised.  J.  W.  Hott. 

364 


November  25. 


November  26. 
Rev.  Isaiah  Baltzell,  1832 


365 


AN  APPEAI.   FOR   CHRISTIAN   MISSIONS. 

I  am  tempted  to  make  one  plea  for  this  blessed  cause.  I  plead  for  a 
quickened  conscience.  I  plead  for  an  enlarged  moral  vision.  I  plead  for 
an  increased  liberality.  I  plead  for  a  systematic  beneficence.  I  plead 
for  a  personal  and  property  consecration.  I  plead  for  a  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  In  the  name  of  the  great  Commander  himself,  in  the  name 
of  our  church  -  fathers  who  sleep  in  the  dust,  in  the  name  of  our  noble 
missionaries  in  those  far-off  fields,  in  the  name  of  the  perishing  millions 
whose  inarticulate  cry  goes  up  to  heaven,  I  plead.  "Awake,  O  Zion. " 
"Arise  and  shine,"  until  every  dark  spot  of  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with 
the  glory  of  thy  light,  and  thy  brightness  shall  fill  the  earth  as  the  waters 

cover  the  sea. 

G.  J/.  Jfai/iezc's. 


CERTAINTIES   IN   REWGION. 

Man  is  immortal;   he  shall  live  in  the  eternity  of  God.      If  we   "follow 

that  which   is  good"   here,   we  shall,   when  we  go  hence,   enter  a  country 

where   the   leaves   shall  not  wither   and   time   will   be    measureless;   where 

all  shall  be  absolutely  perfedl,  and  "when  that  which  is  perfedl  is   come, 

then  that  which  is  in   part  shall  be  done   away."     Blessed  be  God,  there 

are  some  things  now  that  we  do  not  ask  the  question  in  regard  to,   "Who 

knows?"     We  know  Christ  —  know  him  as  our   personal    and  all-sufficient 

Savior    and    Reedeemer.       We    will    love    and    serve    him.     We  will    clasp 

his  dear,' precious  hand,  and  he  will  lead  us  and  teach  us;  and  when  these 

earth  -  shadows,  and   hills,  and    mountains    of  ignorance    sink   as  we   arise, 

and  we  pass  into  the  everlasting  city  and  are  found  "without  fault  before 

the    throne    of    God,"   then    the    longing    of  our    immortal    nature   will    be 

.satisfied.     And  I  think   the    knowledge    and   grace   gained   here  will    fit   us 

for  greater  blessedness  there. 

C.    T.  Steam. 


!66 


NOVKMBER    27. 

Rev.  J.  T.  Vardaman,  1815.         Rev.  Thomas  Evans,  1S23. 
Rev.  Jacob  L,.  Grimm,  1S42. 


November  2S. 


Z^l 


WINTER. 

What  a  fine  time  is  winter  to  cherish  the  principle  of  benevolence  in 
the  heart,  and  to  carry  out  the  principle  into  the  workings  of  pradlical 
life!  "Who  can  stand  before  his  cold."  Ah,  what  suffering  there  is, 
especially  in  our  cities  and  larger  towns,  during  the  winter  season!  When 
we  sit  in  our  comfortable  homes,  around  our  plentiful  tables,  and  muffle 
ourselves  to  walk  a  square,  let  us  think  of  the  many  unfortunate  ones 
who  shiver  with  the  cold,  are  pinched  with  hunger,  and  would  be  so 
thankful  for  what  we  could,  without  suffering,  so  conveniently  spare. 
Be  your  own  almoner.  Don't  be  ashamed  to  be  seen,  basket  in  hand, 
pushing  your  way  through  "obscure  lanes  and  alleys,"  hunting  up  the 
abodes  of  affliction  and  poverty.  Take  your  children  with  5'ou  on  these 
errands  of  mercy.  It  will  be  the  best  lesson  you  can  give  them  in  kind- 
ness to  the  poor,  and  they  will  be  made  much  more  thankful  for  their 
own  comfortable  homes  and  grateful  to  those  who  provide  for  them. 

D.  Berger. 


THE   TESTIMONY   OF   IvOVE. 

The  testimony  of  love  is  upon  the  loving  heart.  Back  upon  it  strange- 
ly pour  the  blessings  it  confers  upon  others.  Love  does  not  stand  around 
to  be  coaxed,  or  waited  upon,  or  invited.  It  does  not  throw  open  its  arms 
and  hands  to  be  filled.  It  ministers;  it  drinks  others'  sorrows;  it  lifts  to 
its  own  shoulders  the  burden  of  others;  it  blesses  all.  Yet  in  doing  this 
it  does  not  parade  its  deeds,  but  hides  them  in  love.  It  is  an  angel  whose 
bright  form  can  not  be  hidden.  The  flame  of  its  burning  lights  too 
brightly  a  fellow -being's  heart  to  be  unnoticed.  It  tells  just  what  we 
are;  it  reveals  a  great  soul.  The  testimony  of  love  exhibits  a  splendid 
characfter.  It  becomes  a  habit  and  a  life.  The  man  who  is  abused  loves 
in  return;  he  is  slandered,  yet  makes  allowances,  and  utters  no  unkind 
word  in  answer;  his  heart  is  wounded  and  bruised,  but  is  not  made  sour 
or  bitter;  he  is  slighted  and  set  aside,  yet  his  soul  is  not  narrowed;  he  is 
passed  by  unnoticed,  and  yet  goes  on  with  his  labor  of  love.  He  asks  no 
reward,  for  he  has  it  in  God  and  in  his  own  heart;  he  seeks  no  crown,  for 
he  has  it.  He  has  heaven  in  his  soul;  and,  giving  it  out  all  the  time,  it 
multiplies  more  and  more.  /.    Jl'.  Hoit. 

368 


November  29. 


November  30. 
Bishop  Martin  Boelim,  1725.         Rev.  Jonathan  T.  Hobson,  1850. 


[23]  369 


CHRISTMAS. 

O'er  far  Judea's  quiet  plain 

The  angels  sung  at  early  morn, 
And  wondering  shepherds  heard  ■with  awe 
The  story  of  a  Savior  born. 

Oh,  wondrous,  wondrous  story, 
Oh,  sweet,  pathetic  story; 

The  lyord  became  a  little  child, 
The  I,ord,  the  King  of  Glory. 

"  Glad  tidings  of  great  joy  we  bring, — 

Peace  to  the  earth,  good -will  to  men;" 
O  radiant  star  of  Bethlehem, 
We  bring  our  offerings  again. 
To-daj',  with  songs  before  him, 
With  joyful  songs  before  him, 

The  Wonderful,  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
We  praise  and  we  adore  him. 

"Rejoice,  O  earth,  the  Ivord  is  bom," — 

No  sweeter  message  ever  fell 
From  angel  lips, —  the  Lord  is  born! 
O  Christmas  bells,  ring  out  and  tell 
To  all  the  world  the  story. 
The  old,  old,  w^ondrous  story, 

How  Christ  was  once  a  little  child, — 
The  Christ,  the  King  of  Glory 


Maud  (Mary  A.  Share). 


370 


A  CHRISTMAS   GREETING. 

I,et  the  bells  ring  out  the  gladness, 
I<et  the  joy -bells  banish  sadness; 

Ring  with  music  clear, 

Fill  the  land  with  cheer, 

With  loudest  voice, 

Bid  men  rejoice; 
For  on  this  happiest,  gladdest,  brightest  mom 
Our  Christ  the  Sovereig^n  Lord  and  King  was  boru. 

From  the  regions  of  the  blest, 
In  effulgent  radiance  drest, 
Down  the  distant  star -lit  'way, 
In  multitudinous  array. 

The  shining  throng. 

With  joyous  song, — 

Their  robes  of  light 

Dispelling  night, — 
On  wing  ethereal  came. 
With  high  and  glad  acclaim. 

The  Judean  shepherds  hear 
Notes  so  strangely,  sweetly  clear, 

Filling  all  the  air. 

Thrilling  everywhere. 

The  notes  proclaim 

The  wondrous  Name  — 
The  sweetest,  holiest,  highest  name  in  heaven, 
The  sweetest,  holiest  name  to  mortals  given. 

Such  song  before  on  earth 
Ne'er  heralded  such  birth; 
For  on  that  sacred  morn 
The  holy  Child  was  bom  — 

The  Mighty  King, 

Whom  angels  sing, 

And  men  revere 

With  lo\ang  fear. 
To  him  this  day  our  highest  songs  we  raise, 
To  him  this  day  we  bring  our  richest  praise. 

Robin  Merry  {Rev.  D.  Berger,  D.D.) 


371 


CASTING  AI,Iy  CARE  ON  THE  LORD. 

^^  Casting  all  your  car&  upon.  Him.^'  It  requires  vastly  more  than  a 
simple  belief  in  the  truth  of  revealed  religion  to  do  this.  "All  your 
care.^'  All  that  relates  to  our  temporal  and  spiritual  concerns.  All  that 
relates  to  time  and  eternity.  The  language  of  inspiration  is  this,  "Trust 
in  the  l,ord  forever,  for  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength."  That 
trust  by  which  the  soul  is  able  to  cast  all  care  upon  Jesus  will  bring  it 
into  perfedl  harmony  with  the  will  of  God.  But  this  casting  all  care  upon 
Jesus  can  only  be  done  by  a  full  and  complete  consecration.  Gospel  faith 
implies  and  includes  complete  consecration.  How  can  a  soul  cast  that 
upon  Jesus  which  it  does  not  unreservedly  consecrate  to  him?  The  lan- 
guage of  trust  is  ' '  all  for  Jesus,  now  and  evermore. ' '  This  is  the  faith  that 
gives  us  the  vic5lory.  No  matter  how  dark  the  day  may  be,  faith  says,  and 
will  not  take  it  back,  "  I  have  left  it  all  with  Jesus."  If  a  man  starts  on 
a  long  journey  it  will  save  him  a  vast  amount  of  trouble  and  anxiety  to 
have  his  baggage  checked  through.  Casting  all  our  care  upon  Jesus  is 
simply  having  our  baggage  checked  through.  Faith  carries  the  check  and 
Jesus  takes  care  of  the  baggage.  J.    Weaver. 

AMERICAN  SLAVERY— A  PROPHECY. 

For  the  last  thirty  years  this  nation,  north  and  south,  has,  by  its  legis- 
lative adlion,  been  building  bulwarks  around  this  institution,  extending, 
strengthening,  perpetuating  it,  thereby  fastening  the  galling  chains  of  .slavery 
more  tightly  upon  its  vi6tims.  Now  what  will  the  Judge  of  the  earth  think 
of  and  do  with  us  when  he  comes  to  settle  for  this  aifair  ?  According  to 
the  principles  of  eternal  justice,  upon  which  he  has  a<5ted  among  the  na- 
tions for  more  than  five  thousand  years,  will  he  not  rise  and  mightily 
shake  this  nation,  and  in  the  execution  of  justice  and  wrath  deliver 
America  over  to  the  tormentors,  until  she  shall  have  paid  or  suffered  dear- 
ly for  her  crimes  ?  The  candid  observer  can  already  see  in  the  distance 
dark  clouds  .skirting  our  political  horizon,  ominous  of  evil  that  may  end 
in  ruin.  What  means  this  Nebraska  business,  this  hankering  after  Cuba, 
this  encroachment  upon  Mexico?  It  seems  that  our  government,  smitten 
with  judicial  blindness^  Pharaoh  -  like,  is  in  haste  to  consummate  its  own 
ruin.  May  we  not  fear  that  the  elements  of  discord  and  fires  of  destruc- 
tion are  already  gathering  strength  in  our  midst?  Then,  as  true  Ameri- 
cans, as  Christians,  we  should  lay  aside  old  prejudices,  and  pray  and  talk 
and  vote  in  such  a  way  that  our  government  may  be  purged  from  sin  and 
the  shackles  of  the  last  slave  knocked  off. 

Isaac  L.  Buchivalier,  18^4. 


Decembkr  I. 


December  2. 


373 


THE   SUPREME   DOCTRINE. 

One  distinAive  feature  of  the  Pauline  philosophy  is  its  Christian 
charaAer.  It  bears  in  its  "body"  the  marks  of  the  L,ord  Jesus.  Christ 
is  the  pivot-center  of  the  whole  system — "all  and  in  all."  No  matter 
whether  Paul  spoke  on  Mars'  Hill  to  vain  philosophers,  or  to  astonished 
Jews  in  their  synagogues,  or  to  the  Greeks  in  their  schools  of  learning,  or 
pleaded  his  own  case  in  the  royal  court,  he  always  erected  the  cross,  around 
which  he  had  every  doctrine  to  move  in  beautiful  harmony  to  the  tune  of 

"  AH  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name, 
Let  angels  prostrate  fall. 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem, 
And  crown  him  Lord  of  all." 

C.  I.  B.  Brane. 


CONSOLATION. 

Religion  alone   contains  true   consolation.      It  is  the   one   balm  for  the 

sorrow  -  stricken   heart.      It  is  the   oil  of  healing  to  the  bruised  spirit.    It 

is  the  one  sweet  song  of  music  for  the  ear  of  the  mourner.     It  is  the  only 

star  of  hope   for  the  lonely  pilgrim  whose  comrades  lie  dead  in  the  dust. 

Other  things  there  may  be  to  which  the  heart  may  be   directed,  but  they 

are  all  but  as  the  noise  of  dancing  to  the  soft  strains  of*  heavenly  music 

falling  on  hearts  of  deep  anguish.     There  is  something  in  the  very  thought 

of  the  existence  of  a  blessed   God  to  whom  we  are  sweetly  reconciled  by 

the  death  of  his  Son  that  gives  us  consolation.     If  he  is  God  he  must  be 

our  Father,  if  he  is  our  Father,  tender,  powerful,  and  loving,  then  we  have 

strong  consolation  who  have  laid  hold  of  the  help  set  before  us.      We  do 

not   know,    we   can   not   see,   we    can  not   at   first  even   feel  that  it  is  real, 

then  faith  takes  hold  of  Father's   hand.     Our  Father  knows  what  is  best. 

How  full  of  consolation. 

/.   W.  Hoti. 


374 


December  3. 


December  4. 


375 


THE  PREvSENT  AND  THE  FUTURE  WFE. 

The  Christian  has  two  lives,  the  earthly  and  the  heavenly.  He  enjoys 
the  one.  He  anticipates  the  other.  The  earthly  has  just  enough  of  the 
bitter  to  increase  in  him  a  longing  for  the  heavenly.  Here  he  bears  the 
cross.  There  he  wears  the  crown.  Here  he  enjoys  life  because  he  enjoys 
God.  Here  he  is  contented,  though  not  fully  satisfied.  He  hopes  for  a 
changed  condition  of  things.  He  longs  for  a  better,  richer,  sweeter  life  to 
come;  and  while  he  is  comforted  with  the  prospedl,  he  is  contented  with 
the  richest  experiences  and  joys  which  are  but  foretastes  of  heaven. 

G.  M.  Mathews. 


DEATH. 

There  is  no  state  or  condition  so  enviable  in  the  hour  of  death  as  that 
of  the  good  man,  who,  in  the  hour  of  dissolution,  can  retire  from  the  cares 
and  turmoil  of  this  life  with  a  calmness  and  resignation  only  consequent 
on  a  course  of  virtue  and  obedience.  All  other  considerations,  however 
pleasing  to  the  present  state  of  existence,  can  not  furnish  an  equivalent 
in  the  hour  when  nature  shall  struggle  in  death,  and  life  hastens  to  be 
gone.  Look  to  man  in  his  most  enviable  condition,  as  it  regards  this  life, 
and  what  do  you  see?  Let  the  deep  silver -mine  pour  out  its  richest  treas- 
ures at  his  feet.  Behold  the  sparkling  diamonds  shining  like  stars  along 
his  glittering  walls.  Look  around  him,  and  mark  the  wide  landscape 
attired  in  the  most  enchanting  scenery  on  which  human  gaze  ever  rested, 
and  covered  with  flocks  and  herds.  Count  his  numerous  vessels  as  they 
sport  on  the  billows  of  the  mighty  ocean,  and  then  suppose  you  see  the 
bony  finger  of  Death  pointing  to  a  new- dug  grave,  to  be  the  residence  of 
the  rich  man,  and  ask,  are  the  riches  of  the  life  to  be  compared  with  the 

riches  that  come  from  God  ? 

IV.  R.  Rhinehart. 

376 


December  5. 


December  6. 


zn 


A    HAPPY    HOMU. 

People  talk,  sing,  and  pray  for  happy  homes.    But  all  this  avails  nothing 

unless  we  also  work  for  them.     This  work  must  not  only  be  the  external 

appliances,  but  much  more   must  it  aim  to  make  every  person  belonging 

to  that  home   happy,    and   even    every  one    that   comes   there.      Save   your 

kindest  words,  most  enduring  patience,  and  dearest  love   for  those  of  your 

own  home.     Rather  aim  to  make  happy  than  to  be   made  so.     Home,  to  be 

a   happy  one,   must   be    a   place   of  order   and   system  which    every  person 

there  tries  to  maintain.     Many  persons  can  not  stay  away  from  their  homes, 

and  yet  when   there  they  are  exacting,    unhelpful,  and   disorderly.     But  if 

you  do  all  you  can  to  make  the    rest   of  your  household   happy,    yours  is 

pretty  sure  to  be  a  happy  home. 

/.  R.  Hoffer. 


THE  CROSS   OF   CHRIST. 

Uncover  the  cross,  and  let  the  whole  race  behold  the  friendship  of  the 
I,amb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world.  Does  beholding 
innocence  and  purity  without  spot  awaken  a  desire  for  virtue?  Then  let 
Jesus  be  presented  to  the  view  of  the  degraded  world.  See,  there  in  that 
drunken  brawl  upon  the  street  is  the  over-tempted  husband  of  the  affec- 
tionate wife.  Her  eyes  have  beheld  the  scene.  Her  tearful  pleadings  fall 
on  his  ear,  but  her  voice  is  powerless  to  draw  him  away.  Hear  her  ex- 
claim, "Bring  me  our  babe;  bring  me  our  babe.  If  he  but  feel  the  touch 
of  its  soft  hands  and  look  upon  the  innocence  of  its  face  he  will  come." 
Its  little  fingers  are  on  his  cheeks.  Its  innocence  shines  in  his  sight. 
His  heart  is  subdued,  and  he  turns  from  the  drunken  scene,  conquered 
by  the  power  of  innocence.  Oh,  let  the  world  see  Jesus.  It  will  turn 
from  its  dark  scenes  of  blood  and  death  and  find  j^urity  and  salvation. 

/.    W.  Hott. 


378 


December  7. 
Rev.  Christian  Hetirich  Gotlieb  Fritz,  1S32. 


D?:CEMBER   8. 

Rev.  T.indley  H.  Bufkin,  1842         Rev.  Benj.  G.  Huber,  1846. 


379 


FAMII^Y  RKIvIGION. 

I  have  known  many  parents  who  could  not  rest  satisfied  nor  think  their 
work  done  in  their  families  until  they  witnessed  the  conversion  of  all  their 

children.      vSome  years  ago  when  I  was  engaged  in  a  revival,  Judge  C , 

an  eminent  man  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  took  a  verj'  adlive  part  in  the 
work.  His  daughter  was  converted  at  the  meeting,  and  when  I  inquired 
of  him  as  to  the  spiritual  state  of  his  other  children,  he  said  at  such  and 
such  a  date  this  one  and  the  other  were  converted,  and  he  stated  how  that 
time  after  time  he  had,  at  their  request,  gone  to  their  solitary  chambers  and 
labored  with  them  in  prayer,  ixntil  now  they  were  all  saved.  Of  all  this 
there  was  little  said  at  the  time,  but  he  was  a  faithful  and  happy  parent. 
I  have  known  many  families  in  which  there  was  family  worship,  Christian 
teaching,  and  godly  living,  so  that  the  strangers  coming  into  the  family  as 
servants  were  very  soon  under  convidlion  of  sin,  and  most  invariably  con- 
verted. There  are  indeed  comparatively  few  who  will  resist  the  saving 
influence  of  grace,  if  early  and  persistently  applied  in  the  family. 

Z.  A.  Colestock. 


TRIUMPH    OF    CHRISTIANITY. 

Many  are  the  reasons  to  assure  us  of  the  final  issue  in  this  contest  of 
the  world's  religions.  Our  religion  will  triumph  because  of  its  great  truths 
and  promises  of  good  to  all  mankind.  It  shall  triumph  because  it  suits 
all  conditions  of  the  race.  It  enters  the  darkest  haunts  of  vice,  and  offers 
a  life  of  happiness  and  purity  by  following  Christ.  It  visits  the  poor  and 
abandoned,  offering  peace  and  plenty  on  earth,  and  treasure  richer  than 
palaces  in  the  life  to  come.  It  finds  the  king  on  his  throne,  and  offers 
instead  of  the  crown  and  anxieties  of  the  jeweled  brow,  a  crown  of  im- 
mortality at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.  In  our  religion,  royalty  and 
poverty  greet  each  other,  and  all  mankind  may  become  heirs  of  an  eternal 
kingdom.  Christianity  will  triumph  because  it  satisfies  the  desires  of  the 
soul  as  no  other  religion  has  ever  done.  The  ancients,  prompted  by  this 
longing  for  the  unknown,  the  infinite,  gave  themselves  to  the  study  of 
various  philosophies  —  consulted  oracles,  omens,  and  signs.  Some  massed 
their  armies  and  tried  to  conquer  the  world.  Many  to-day  try  to  supply 
this  need  of  the  soul  by  hoarding  wealth,  taking  "pledges  of  the  poor," 
and  the  "sheaf  from  the  hungry."  Some  seek  pleasure,  others  honor  and 
fame.  Yet  these  satisfy  not,  and  from  the  soul  goes  out  a  cry  to  which 
nothing  responds  save  God  and  his  infinite  love.  • 

Mrs.  E.  K.  DcLong. 
380 


December  9. 


Dkce:\iber  10. 
President  I.  1,.  Kepliart,  D.  D.,  1832. 


381 


THE    GOOD   MAN. 

A  good  man  constantly  exerts  himself  to  promote  the  cause  and  glory 
of  God  in  the  world.  It  is  this  zeal  which  makes  a  man  truly  and  nobly 
a(5tive  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow  -  creatures.  It  is  this  which  excites  the 
most  ardent  endeavors  for  the  advancement  of  truth  in  the  world.  There 
is  liberality  in  a  good  man's  heart  which  stimulates  him  to  repeated  ex- 
ertions for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  Nor  will  the  difficulties  in  the  way 
deter  him.  I^abor,  ■  fatigue,  opposition,  and  ridicule,  misrepresentation,  and 
disappointment  will  not  cause  him  to  recede  nor  retire  from  this  benevo- 
lent employment.  He  will  strive  to  promote  order  in  the  family,  quietness 
in  the  neighborhood,  love  in  the  church,  and  peace  in  the  state. 

J.  J.   Glossbrenner 


THE   CHURCH   AND   HIGHER  EDUCATION. 

It  is  not  education  merely  at  which  the  church  aims  in  its  expenditure  of 
so  much  labor  and  money,  but  sanAified  education.  True,  for  ages  schools 
of  learning  were  planted  maintained  almost  solely  by  the  Christian  church. 
But  the  favored  time  has  come  when  education,  both  common  and  higher,  is 
being  pushed  right  on  by  agencies  more  powerful  than  the  single  -  handed 
exertions  of  the  church.  Through  the  combined  endeavors  of  individuals, 
corporations,  church,  and  state,  learning  is  pursuing  its  rapid  march,  and 
increasing  knowledge  is  clothing  its  possessors  with  power.  But  since  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  church  of  Christ  to  purify  every  stream  of  human 
power,  and  turn  it  into  the  channel  of  its  own  efforts,  it  hence  becomes 
its  imperative  duty  to  exercise  a  molding  and  controlling  influence  in  the 
great  work  of  education.  That  knowledge  be  valuable,  its  power  must  be 
diretfted  toward  the  overthrow  of  error  and  the  establishing  of  truth.  Ed- 
ucation to  be  a  blessing  to  the  world  must  help  to  Christianize  it.  As 
said  Bishop  Edwards,  "It  is  not  to  be  sought  as  an  end,  but  rather  as  a 
means  to  glorify  God  and  bless  mankind."  To  give  to  the  higher  educa- 
tion of   the   day   the  stamp   of    orthodox  Christianity   is   a   task    devolving 

upon  the  church  of  no  small  moment. 

L.  Bookwalter,  1884. 

r.S2 


DeCKMBER    II. 


December  12. 
Rev.  Joseph  Medgsger,  1833. 


3S3 


WOMAN'S   INFLUENCE. 

Among  women  who  have  assisted  in  maintaining  the  orthodox  faith,  or 
in  winning  new  territory'  for  Christianity,  Flacilla,  the  wife  of  Theodosius 
the  Great,  and  Clotilda,  the  wife  of  Clovis,  may  be  mentioned.  Another 
example  is  found  in  Theodolinda,  the  Lombard  queen,  who,  according  to 
the  tradition,  because  of  her  faithfulness  to  the  truth,  was  presented  with 
the  famous  iron  crown.  We  remember,  also,  the  influence  of  Bertha  and 
other  Christian  princesses  in  effeAing  the  conversion  of  their  royal  hus- 
bands. Christianity  has  been  indebted  not  a  little  to  such  alliances  and 
such  fidelit}'.  Heathen  wives,  however,  have  generally  overcome  the  in- 
fluence of  Christian  husbands.  Thus  women,  whose  condition  has  been 
so  immeasurably  improved  by  Christianity,  present  numberless  eminent 
examples  of  the  ennobling  power  of  the  gospel,  and  of  pure  and  tireless 
zeal  in  the  furtherance  of  its  mission. 

•A.  IV.  Drury 


THE   COMMANDMENT  OF  LOVE. 

This  new  commandment  is  binding,  notwithstanding  tlie  differences  of 
opinions.  We  will  never  all  think  alike  while  we  remain  on  probation. 
How  it  will  be  with  the  good  beyond  the  grave  as  to  this  is  not  known; 
but  here  we  can  not  all  see  "eye  to  eye."  It  is  not  going  far  enough 
to  give  to  ever}'  man  the  liberty  of  opinion.  He  must  be  loved  in  his 
opinion  —  not  for  it,  but  in  it.  If  we  are  not  wise  enough  to  discriminate 
between  a  Christian  brother  and  his  opinion,  then  we  must  forget  the 
opinion  and  love  the  brother.  There  is  no  alternative  from  this  but  the 
loss  of  our  discipleship.  This  law  holds  none  the  less  if  a  brother  be 
faulty.  You  are  no  better,  it  may  be;  and  being  better,  your  proof  and 
duty  is  in  loving  him.  Christ  loves  us  in  our  faults.  "While  we  were  yet 
sinners,"  tells  the  precious  truth.  "As  I  have  loved  you,"  means  while 
thej'  are  yet  faulty.  It  is  evident  we  must  love  one  another  as  we  are, 
not  as  we  ought  to  be.  The  only  fault  that  can  keep  us  from  loving  each 
other  is  the  fault  that  is  in  ourself 

C.  M.  Holt. 


3S4 


December  13. 
Rev.  James  H.  Dickson,  1832.         Prof.  J.  N.  Fries,  A.  M.,  1850. 


Decebiber  14. 


[24]  385 


OUR   BOYS. 

How  keep  them  at  home?  Not  by  mere  force  of  authority.  If  you 
have  no  better  way  this  will  accomplish  something,  but  it  will  not  reach 
the  desired  end.  As  soon  as  they  are  able  to  break  away  from  home 
authority  they  will  do  so,  and  plunge  into  the  vices  against  which  you 
cautioned  them  most  earnestly.  Make  home  attradtive.  These  boyish 
natures  have  cravings  of  their  own,  and  you  must  meet  them,  or  the  boys 
will.  They  need  companionship,  and  you  must  supply  it.  Parents  should 
keep  their  own  hearts  so  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  their  children  that 
they  can  adequately  meet  this  want.  A  boy  should  have  no  more  sym- 
pathetic or  appreciative  friend  than  his  father.  These  boj^s  also  need  other 
companions.  Seledl  them  and  invite  them  to  your  house.  If  not  fit  to 
come  to  your  home  they  are  not  fit  associates  for  your  children. 

H.  A.  Thompson. 


THE   CHRISTIAN  COI.I.EGK. 

While  in  many  schools  scarcely  any  attention  is  given  to  the  heart- 
culture  of  the  student,  to  the  formation  of  perfe<5l  characfler,  in  every  truly 
Christian  institution  positive  influences  are  continually  at  work  which  give 
to  the  mind  a  bent  toward  morality  and  piety.  The  spiritual  improvement 
of  the  student  is'  sought  as  his  highest  good.  And  further,  only  through 
its  own  agency  can  the  church  have  educated  talent.  In  order  to  com- 
mand educated  men,  it  must  make  educated  men.  No  one  questions  the 
importance  of  securing  for  the  church  the  labor  of  the  most  thoroughly 
developed  minds.  Certainly  if  men  with  "whole  armor"  are  needed  in  any 
field  of  human  endeavor,  they  are  demanded  in'  the  world's  great  moral 
conflidl.  The  men  and  women  who  in  the  various  departments  of  Chris- 
tian work,  with  hand,  or  pen,  or  mouth,  are  to-day  most  ably  advocating 
and  advancing  our  holy  religion,  have  been  trained  in  Christian  halls  of 
learning.  Christian  colleges  are  the  citadels  of  truth.  They  are  centers 
and  sources  of  religious  power.  Their  worth  to  the  cause  of  religion  is 
beyond  computation.  Blot  out  from  the  face  of  the  earth  every  Christian 
college.     Now,  Christian,  hope,  if  you  can,  for  the  gospel's  onward  march! 

L.  Bookwalter. 


3S6 


December  15. 
Rev.  James  G.  Baldwin,  1824. 


December  16. 
Rev.  Benjamin  Ham.p,  1821. 


3S7 


TEACHING   CHII^DREN  TO   GIVE. 

Those  children  that  are  taught  the  duty  of  pa}dng  something  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  church,  that  cultivate  an  acflive  interest  in  its  work  by  con- 
stantly contributing  to  its  needs,  will  make  better  men  and  women,  more 
earnest  workers  in  the  church,  and  more  generous  supporters  of  all  church- 
enterprises  by  such  teaching.  Surely  the  duty  of  "laying  by  in  store" 
for  the  support  of  the  church  can  not  be  too  clearly  taught.  Every  indi- 
vidual, in  every  department,  old  or  young,  rich  or  poor,  should  learn  fully 
the  lesson  of  the  Christian  obligation  to  sustain  the  church  of  God.  Where 
can  this  be  better  taught  outside  the  home  than  in  the  Sunday-school? 

E.  L.  Shuey. 


THE  SUPREME   DUTY. 

The  best  means  to  accomplish  the  best  end  is  the  climax  of  human 
exertion.  The  environments  of  the  flesh  do  not  bind  human  destiny. 
Revelation  and  consciousness  indicate  a  future  existence  for  man.  Reve- 
lation and  reason  determine  this  existence  to  be  joyous  or  otherwise  as 
the  life  here  has  been  good  or  evil.  No  man  can  be  accountable  for  being 
in  this  world,  nor  for  his  moral  condition  on  entering  it,  but  God  will  hold 
every  one  accountable  for  his  condition  on  leaving  it.  Man's  business 
here  is  to  prepare  to  get  away  from  earth  in  the  best  possible  manner, 
with  the  highest  possible  attainments,  having  accomplished  the  most  good 
possible  for  his  fellow -men.  All  of  this  requires  a  life  of  activity.  The 
pathway  from  this  world  to  the  next  is  one  on  which  there  falls  a  single 
light.     Here  we  can  not  judge   the   future  by  the  past,  only  the  word  of 

God  gives  knowledge  of  the  way. 

G.  P.  Holt. 


388 


December  17. 


December  iS. 
Rev.  D.  Wenrich,  1S25.         President  Simon  B.  Brvin,  A.  M.,  1843. 


389 


A   BAD   EXAMPLK. 

If  a  man  uses  tobacco  in  any  form  he  is  setting  a  bad  example,  which 
will  be  followed  by  others,  especially  the  young.  They  will  copy  the  ways 
of  their  seniors.  If  one  be  a  minister,  Sunday-school  superintendent,  or 
teacher,  or  other  church -oflScial,  his  position  only  increases  his  power  of  in- 
fluence, and  intensifies  the  evil  and  danger  of  a  bad  example.  Thus  the  very 
ones  who  are  the  religious  guides  and  teachers  of  the  young  may  become 
ministers  of  evil  by  an  evil  example.  Those  whom  they  should,  by  precept 
and  example,  lead  to  a  life  of  self-denial  and  purity,  they  have  really,  in 
man}'  instances,  turned  aside  to  a  life  of  self-  indulgence  and  sensuality. 


WISE   COUNSELS  TO   THE   YOUNG. 

l,et  not  fashion,  custom,  or  another's  opinion  bribe  your  conscience. 
Make  everything  a  matter  of  conscience  —  your  work,  your  associations, 
your  studies,  and  your  personal  improvement.  Enter  no  place  or  work 
where  you  willhave  to  leave  your  conscience  at  the  door.  A  good  con- 
science is  a  continual  Christmas.  The  torture  of  a  bad  conscience  is  the 
hell  of  a  living  soul.  Have  respe(5t  for  the  conscience  of  others.  Impugn 
no  man's  motives.  Put  as  honest  and  consistent  an  interpretation  on  them 
as  possible.  It  is  the  work  of  a  narrow  mind  to  question  continually  the 
motives  of  others.  Obey  God  at  all  hazards.  Make  the  very  most  of  your- 
selves the  material  on  hand  will  allow.  Fill  your  minds  with  the  best 
thoughts  of  living  writers  in  the  important  branches  of  knowledge.  Make 
life -long  students  of  yourselves.  Do  not  be  unnerved  by  your  mistakes. 
A  good  general  rallies  his  forces  in  the  midst  of  defeat. 

W.  M.  Beardshear. 


390 


December  19. 


December  20. 
Rev.  A.  Schwimley,  1842. 


391 


DIRECTIONS  TO   SUNDAY -SCHOOI,  TEACHERS. 

You  must  understand  your  pupils.  This  can  only  be  gained  by  personal 
contadl  with  them.  Visit  them;  talk  with  them  and  with  their  parents  in 
their  own  homes;  invite  them  to  visit  you;  make  tea  parties  for  them; 
cultivate  real  love  for  them;  speak  to  them;  greet  them  with  a  smile  wher- 
ever you  meet  them.  It  will  cost  you  nothing,  and  you  will  be  the  richer 
for  it.  Show  them  real  sympathy  in  their  troubles,  which  to  them  are  great. 
Speak  to  them  personally  and  freely  about  their  souls'  interests,  and  as  you 
value  their  souls  and  your  own,  let  no  fit  opportunity  pass  unimproved. 
Time  is  short.  Your  life-work  will  soon  be  done.  Cut  a  way  straight 
to  Jesus  and  their  hearts. 

R.   Cowden. 


FOI.LOWING   GOD'S   PATTERN. 

In  the   produdlion  of  the  costly  tapestries,  on  a  single   square  yard  of 

which  a  whole  year  of  skillful    labor  is  expended,  the  workman  does  not 

see  the  face  of  his  work.     He  sits  behind  the  loom,  so  to  speak,  while  the 

beautiful  design,  as  it  gradually  takes  form,  is  on  the  side  opposite  from 

him.     So  much  of  the  best  work  of  our  lives  must  be  bestowed  while  the 

results   are   hidden  from  lis.      But  as  the  weaver  of  tapestries  follows  out 

with   the    most   exadt   scrupulousness  a  pattern  or  drawing  at  his  side,  so 

there  is  given   us  a  pattern  by  which  to  diredt  our  work.     In  following  it 

out  we  shall  do  well  if  we  remember  the  instrudlion  given  to  Moses,  "See 

that  thou    make   all   things    according  to   the    pattern    showed  thee   in   the 

mount." 

D.  Berber. 


392 


December  21. 


December  22. 


393 


THE  TRUK   ADORNING. 

The  salvation  of  souls  is  by  no  means  dependent  upon  robes,  reg-alia, 
or  uniforms;  or  better  perhaps  to  say  that  salvation  requires  none  of  these. 
Christ  wore  no  regalia,  no  sacerdotal  robes.  Though  John  the  Baptist, 
from  his  wilderness  life  or  for  other  reasons,  "had  his  raiment  of  camel's- 
hair,  and  a  leathern  girdle  about  his  loins,"  Jesus,  the  great  teacher,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  marked  b}'  no  peculiarity  of  clothing.  No  ministerial 
follower  of  his,  dressed  entirely  according  to  his  principles,  would  from 
his  attire  be  halted  at  the  Girard  gates,  for,  imitating  him,  they  would 
present  no  professional  garb,  none  to  distinguish  them  from  other  gentle- 
men of  cultivated  taste;  nor  of  course  would  they  present  anything  flashy. 
The  meek  and  quiet  spirit,  which  assuredly  ought  to  adorn  every  minister 
of  Christ,  will   never  lead   its   possessor  to    consort  with    dandies,  or  enter 

rivalries  with  the  devotees  of  fashion.     Far  from  it. 

S.  B.  Allen. 


PROHIBITION. 

We  preached  against  slavery,  we  prayed  for  deliverance  from  the  curse; 
but  not  until  we  voted  for  it  also  did  we  see  the  beginning  of  the  end  — 
and,  thank  God,  also  the  end.  The  gospel  teaches  temperance.  It  also 
teaches,  " Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  "  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery,"  "Thou 
shalt  not  murder,"  etc.  Now,  shall  we  not  have  a  law  that  says  men  and 
women  shall  and  must  not  steal  or  commit  adultery  or  murder,  or  by 
having  such  laws  in  our  statute-books  do  we  thereby  say  that  the  gospel 
is  not  doing  effedlive  work?  The  liquor  -  traffic  is  doing  more  harm 
than  all  these  other  crimes  put  together,  and  we  "modern  reformers,"  so- 
called,  want  a  law  not  to  regulate  this  curse,  but  to  prohibit  it  as  we  do 
other  crimes.  But  we  are  pushing  our  way.  We  see  glimmering  light, 
and  we  will  not  be  crowded  back,  call  us  what  you  may.  For  myself, 
for  the  last  thirteen  years  I  have  voted  nothing  but  prohibition.  We  are 
crowding  on  the  way,  with  God  on  our  side.  One  of  our  good  bishops 
once  said  that  "God  and  one  man  are  a  majority  all  the  time."  We  are 
getting  company.  We  will  preach,  pray,  and  vote  for  "God,  home,  and 
native  land."  J.  R.  Hiitchiso7i. 

394 


December  23. 


Dkcember  24, 


395 


CHRISTMAS. 

Christmas  upsets  things  in  the  staid  home,  and  puts  parents  and  chil- 
dren down  together  for  a  day.  Things  must  come  to  rights,  and  the  chil- 
dren want  to  bring  in  the  joy.  The  day— may  it  bring  a  jubilee  of  love 
in  all  our  homes.  In  our  Christmas- joy  let  us  not  forget  the  glad  tidings. 
The  Sun  that  makes  our  day  is  he  who  was  born  at  Bethlehem  on  the 
first  Christmas  -  morning.  The  Fountain  of  our  joy  is  he  who  lay  in  the 
lap  of  the  virgin  of  Nazareth  on  the  first  Christmas  -  morning.  The  Peace 
which  makes  our  life  to  flow  in  a  song  is  he  who  was  the  infant  over  whom 
the  angels  sung  on  the  first  Christmas  -  morning.  The  Star  which  guides 
the  weary  pilgrimage  of  our  life  is  that  which  beamed  forth  in  Bethlehem 
of  Judea  on  the  first  Christmas  -  morning.  Then  let  us  above  all  our 
thoughts  remember  Jesus.     May  he  be  born  anew  in  all  our  hearts  on  this 

joyful  morning. 

/.  IF.  Holt 


CHRISTMAS  -  DAY   MEMORIES. 

How  tender  and  sweet  come  the  remembrances  of  those  Christmas- 
scenes  when  the  family  chain  was  unbroken,  and  when  the  future  ap- 
peared so  bright  and  desirable.  All  were  there.  Father,  mother,  brother, 
sister,  all,  all  were  in  the  circle.  No  sadness  or  bitterness  in  an}'  heart. 
Smiles  wreathed  every  face,  peace  reigned  supreme — fitting  emblems 
of  Him  who  came  to  earth  to  bring  "peace."  There  was  a  hearty  cheer 
in  all  that  was  said  and  done ;  and  the  Spirit  of  Him  who  came  to  bring 
' '  good  -  will ' '  to  men  was  shown  by  all.  But  the  scene  changes.  The 
circle  once  so  complete  is  broken.  Ivight  the  fires  anew  to-day  for  the 
memory  of  the  dead.  Try  to  do  some  good  for  the  sake  of  the  hand  that 
nevermore  will  be  held  out  to  assist  the  needy.  Let  the  old  bitter  and 
sad  life  sleep  in  its  grave  in  peace,  and  seek  an  acquaintance  to  -  day,  and 
through  all  days,  with  the  wonderful  Son  of  man. 

T.  D.  Adams. 


396 


December  25. 
Bishop  J.  Markwood,  1818.         Rev.  C.  I.  B.  Brane,  li 


December  26. 


397 


SSIyF-DEFKNSB  AND  SUBMISSION. 

'  There  have  been  periods  in  my  life  when  I  thought  I  ought  to  say- 
all  I  knew,  especially  when  it  related  to  a  question  or  matter  of  self- 
defense.  But  a  new  leaf,  as  the  saying  goes,  has  been  turned  over,  and 
within  the  last  few  years  I  have  learned  that  I  should  also  in  this  be 
like  unto  my  Master;  namely,  that  I  learn  to  hold  my  peace  also  when  I 
am  unjustly  accused,  and  live  in  full  assurance  that  he  will  vindicate  me 
openly,  so  that  the  honor  of  my  deliverance  from  the  hands  of  my  enemies 
be  not  unto  me  but  unto  him.  And  I  hope  it  may  not  be  regarded  as  a 
piece  of  fanaticism  when  I  say  that  God  has  defended  me  wonderfully  in 
my  quiet  submissions.  I  am  also  fully  aware  that  in  this  doctrine  of  sub- 
mission one  may  run  into  extremes,  and  hold  his  peace  when  he  should 
speak.     But  now  I  feel  willing  to  speak  or  to  hold  my  peace,  as  the  L,ord 

may  diredl. 

Jacob  Ei'b,  184J. 


THE   PRESENCE   OF   GOD. 

The  good  man  can  rejoice  in  the  thought,  "Thou  God  seest  me,"  while 
he  is  seeking  an  entire  conformity  to  the  divine  will.  If  he  can  not  under- 
stand all  his  errors,  he  can  pray,  "Search  me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart." 
He  is  glad  that  God  is  present  to  search  his  heart.  He  would  not  shun 
the  light,  but  he  would  come  to  the  light  that  his  heart  and  works  may  be 
made  manifest.  He  says,  if  I  am  in  an  error,  I  want  to  know  it  and  have  it 
corredled.  God  looks  at  the  heart,  and  does  not  regard  ones  words  so  much 
as  the  state  of  the  heart  and  will.  The  good  man  can  rejoice  in  this,  truth 
when  friends  suspedl  and  enemies  reproach  him.  He  can  put  his  hand  upon 
his  breast,  look  up  and  say,  "My  witness  is  in  heaven."  "  I^ord,  thou 
knowest  all  things;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee,"  How  pleasing  to  the 
good  man  in  the  time  of  trouble.  He  remembers  with  a  glad  heart  that 
God  sees  him,  and  is  with  him  in  all  his  afflidlions,  and  knows  just  how 
long  to  continue  the  trial.  He  saw  Joseph  and  Jeremiah  in  the  dungeon. 
He  saw  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,  and  the  Hebrew  children  in  the  fire. 
Blessed  be  his  holy  name,  "his  ej^es  are  upon  all  them  that  fear  him." 

L.  Davis,  1854. 


December  27. 


December  28. 
Rev.  Samuel  Bussard,  1829. 


399 


THE    LAST   WORD.S   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

Farewell.     If   any  inquire  after  me,  tell  them   I   die  in  the  faith  I  have 
preached.      •■•     "•■•  ■•■      *      *     A:nen,  amen:  it  is  finished     '••■     *     "•■■     L,ord, 

now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace  according  to  thy  word,  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation.  Jesus,  Jesus, —  I  die  but  thou  livest, 
and  soon  I  shall  live  with  thee.  The  confli(5l  is  over  and  past.  I  begin 
to  feel  an  unspeakable  fullness  of  love  and  peace  divine.  I,ay  my  head 
upon  my  pillow  and  be  still. 

"He  taught  us  how  to  live,  and,  oh!  too  high, 
A  price  of  knowledge  taught  us  how  to  die." 


THE   FIvIGHT  OF  YEARS. 

The  year  flies  like  the  arrow  in  the  air.  It  is  a  pointed  arrow  that 
pierces  many  a  heart.  But  for  all  the  wounds  it  stays  not,  nor  turns  aside. 
The  year  flits  over  our  head  like  the  swift -winged  bird.  It  is  a  bird  of 
fair  plumage;  but  for  all  the  flowers  along  the  path  it  ceases  not  its  flight 
nor  slackens  yet  its  speed.  The  year  came  as  a  sweet,  fair  angel  visitor, 
one  whose  host  it  was  our  joy  to  be.  To  us  the  visit  seems  but  half 
out,  and  yet  our  guest  will  off  on  the  next  train,  and  all  our  entreaties  that 
the  angel  fair  longer  remain  are  disregarded.  The  departure  is  taken — • 
taken  once  for  all  —  forever.  None  may  call  back  yesterday,  or  bid  the 
years  return.  Who  that  is  chastened  with  the  thought  of  the  flying  years 
but  longs  to  make  those  to  come  better  than  the  past?  Who  takes  no 
time  to  mourn  the  failures  of  the  by -gone  is  unworthy  the  moments 
which  are  to  come.  He  who  feels  the  touch  and  pressure  of  eternity  in 
the  fleeting  years  must  rise  and  gird  upon  him  the  strength  of  noble  man- 
hood. 

J.  W.  Holt. 


400 


December  29. 


December  ^o. 


[25]  401 


THE   INFI.UENCE   OF  JESUS. 

Jesus  differs  from  others  by  the  beneficent  power  of  his  life  over  the 
subsequent  history  of  mankind.  On  taking  on  himself  humanity,  and  in 
sacrificing  himself  for  humanity,  he  showed  the  worth  of  man  and  thus 
laid  a  foundation  for  human  rights.  This  changed  the  whole  trend  of 
history.  At  the  time  of  his  coming,  the  personal  worth  and  individuality 
of  man  were  overlooked.  Men  fought,  in  the  face  of  the  highest  ciziliza- 
tion  known,  with  the  wild  beasts  in  the  amphitheater,  and  the  imperial 
purple  waved  in  approval.  To-day  if  men  want  to  have  a  ring- fight  of 
two  common  curs  they  must  slink  off  in  the  dead  of  the  night  to  some 
place  of  secret  understanding,  that  they  may  evade  the  clutches  of  the 
law.  Then  the  weak  and  imbecile  fared  largely  like  the  wounded  deer 
of  the  forest.  Now  asylums  and  poor-houses  dot  the  civilize^  world. 
Then  the  rights  of  a  slave  were  not  those  of  a  man.  Now  he  is  loosed 
from  his  shackels,  exalted  to  the  liberties  of  individual  citizenship  and 
given  the  advantages  of  the  most  advanced  civilization.  Woman,  through 
his  influence,  has  broken  from  the  cloister  and  harem  and  risen  to  walk 
and  live  as  an  equal  with  her  brother  and  husband.  From  him  sprung 
the  completest  philanthropy,  and  the  universal  brotherhood  of  man,  that 
Jehovah  might  "make  all  men  see  what  is  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery, 
which  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  hath  been  hid  in  God."  Sosomenes 
relates  that  when  the  holy  family  of  Joseph  and  Mary  reached  the  limit 
of  their  journey  and  approached  the  city  of  Heliopolis,  in  their  fliight  into 
Egypt,  a  tree  which  grew  before  the  gates  of  the  city,  and  was  regarded 
with  great  veneration  as  the  seat  of  a  God,  bowed-  down  its  branches  at 
the  approach  of  the  infant  Christ.  Likewise  it  is  related  that  all  the 
idols  of  the  Egyptians  fell  with  their  faces  to  the  earth.  And  travelers 
who  have  been  in  that  country  speak  of  piAures  representing  this  scene 
in  which  the  idols  lay  broken  on  every  hand.  Be  these  legends  as  they 
may,  at  the  approach  of  Jesus  through  the  centuries  every  objeA  of 
stifled  religious  instin(5l  and  latent  moral  principle,  which  was  the  seat 
of  a  god,  leaped  into  new  life  and  veneration,  and  became  the  admiration 
and  glory  of  the  advancing  civilizations,  while  upon  every  side  the  idols 
of  bigotry,  superstition,  and  ignorance  fell  into  irreparable  fragments. 

JV.  jW.  Beardshear. 


402 


HE  WORKETH  WITH   US. 

Though  hard  be  the  labor,  and  bitter  the  toil, 
No  harvest  brings  pleasure,  unfruitful  the  soil: 
Yet  labor  is  sweet,  though  its  only  reward 
The  joy  of  the  thought  —  with  us  worketh  the  I<ord. 

He  shares  all  the  bitter,  he  shares  all  the  pain, 
And  sharing  transforms  them  to  rapture  again; 
While  feeling  our  weakness,  our  weariness  sore, 
He  grants  us  the  rest  that  endures  evermore. 

He  worketh  with  us?    Then  no  toil  can  be  vain 
In  which  he  engages,  there  surely  is  gain! 
The  harvests  most  precious  do  oft  ripen  late, 
'Tis  his  to  give  increase,  'tis  ours  still  to  wait. 

He  worketh  with  us!    Oh,  companionship  sweet! 
That  makes  the  fierce  battle  a  peaceful  retreat; 
That  binds  the  wild  forces  of  sin  that  affright; 
And  girds  with  omnipotence  us  for  the  right. 


E.  S.  Lorenz 


404 


INDEX  OF   BIRTHDAYS. 

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406 


INDEX   OF  BIRTHDAYS. 


Page. 


407 


INDEX    OF   BIRTHDAYS. 

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408 

INDEX   OF  BIRTHDAYS. 
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409 


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FOR  THE  MASTER'S  SAKE. 

Would  you  labor  for  the  Master 

Till  life's  eventide  grows  dim  ? 
All  you  do  unto  his  children 

You  are  doing  unto  him. 
From  his  throne  of  power,  supernal, 

He  will  loving  notice  take 
E'en  of  the  cup  of  water 

That  is  given  for  his  sake. 

Some  who  bear  the  cross  of  suffering, 

'Neath  its  weight  are  worn  and  weak, 
lyonging  for  the  help  and  comfort 

Of  kind  words  which  you  can  speak. 
Weary  ones  are  all  around  you; 

Many  hearts  with  sadness  ache; 
Strive  to  make  their  burdens  lighter 

For  the  blessed  Master's  sake. 

l,ight  the  last  hours  of  the  dying 

With  God's  words  of  life  and  love, 
Telling  of  the  many  mansions 

In  the  Beulah-land  above. 
Speak  of  resurrecSlion  brightness 

That  on  death's  night  soon  shall  break; 
Cheer  those  solemn  final  moments 

For  the  risen  Savior's  sake. 

Many  walk  in  sin's  broad  highway, 

I,eading  on  to  endless  gloom, 
And  their  footsteps  swiftly  hasten 

Downward  to  eternal  doom. 
Go  to  them  with  prayer  and  weeping 

And  salvation's  message  take; 
Plead  with  them  to  journey  heavenward 

For  the  dear  Redeemer's  sake. 

When  the  rich  reward  is  given 

To  each  tried  and  faithful  one, 
Sweet  will  sound  the  Master's  plaudit. 

As  he  says,  "  My  child,  well  done;" 
And  the  voices  of  the  angels 

Joyful  melodies  will  w^ake 
At  the  memory  of  kindness 

Shown  on  earth  for  Jesus'  sa 


Jennie  Wilson, 


418 


CONTENTS. 


Advice  to  Young  Men lo 

A  Temperance  Letter 38 

A  Royal  Road 46 

A  Praying  Mother 66 

A  Christian 112 

An  Eternal  Weight  of  Glory 142 

A  Plea  for  Education 194 

Advice  to  Students 218 

A  Library  an  Index  of  Characfler 246 

A  Happy  Experience 262 

A  Costly  Offering 268 

Alexander  Owen 278 

A  Cherished  Name 280 

An  Appeal  to  Educate 306 

Alexander  Owen's  Home 328 

A  Good  Time 340 

About  Differences 346 

An  Appeal  for  Missions 366 

American  Slavery  —  A  Prophecy 372 

A  Happy  Home 378 

A  Bad  Example 390 

Bishop  Otterbein 10 

Bricks  Without  Straw 64 

Benevolence 94 

Broken  Resolutions no 

But  One  Perfecfl  House no 

Communion  With  God 28 

Christian  Morality 42 

Corredting  Children 54 

Christian  Friendship 58 

Cheap  Sales 62 

Christian  Adti\'itj' 62 

Christian  Culture 66 

Charadter  and  Destiny 70 

Cross  and  Crown 102 

Christian  Love 114 

Conditions  of  Success 124 

Christian  Perfecftion 130 

Consecrated  Men 134 

Christian  Love 168 

Children's  Day 174 

Childhood iSS 

Communion 192 

Charaifler  and  Usefulness 256 

Children  in  College 276 

Christian  Charity 292 

Consecration 298 


Certainties  in  Religion 366 

Casting  all  Care  on  the  Lord 372 

Consolation 374 

Christmas 396 

Christmas-Day  Memories 396 

Deciding  to  Enter  College 132 

Decision  of  Characfter 308 

Death 376 

Dire(ftions  to  S.  S.  Teachers 392 

Education 74,  322 

Essential  Principles 98 

Enthusiasm 150 

Early  Conversions 200 

Eternity 312 

Educated  Men 334 

Elements  of  Success 360 

lixamples  of  Humility 360 

Family  Conversation 20 

Following  Christ 22 

Family  Reunions 90 

Factors  in  Christian  Missions 120 

False  Standards 128 

Fruits  of  Holiness 136 

Fruit  of  the  Gospel 148 

First  Fruits 160 

Friends 224 

Family  Religion 246,  380 

Following  God's  Pattern 392 

God- Chosen  Men 24 

Genuine  Success 36 

Gradviation  -  Day 52 

Get  an  Education 188 

God  in  Everything 196 

God's  Battles 198 

Gettysburg 248 

Giving  to  Colleges 258 

Gethsemane 258 

Growth  of  Christianity 276 

Godly  Teachers 294 

Going  Home 362 

Home-Making 50 

Hungry  Minds 78 

Home-Training  of  Daughters 114 

Humility  in  the  Student 118 


419 


CONTENTS. 


Heart  -  Keeping .■ 154 

Heavenly  Attractions 158 

Holiness i65 

Hope 17S 

How  Much  to  Give 180 

Home  Reading 194 

Heaven  on  Earth 210 

Heaven  to  the  Poor, 214 

How  to  Provide  for  the  Children 230 

Home  Influence  of  Women 254 

Home  Inflvience 260 

Heart -Experience „..  312 

Home  Memories - 350 

How  to  be  Happy 354 

Home  a  Refuge 358 

Honor  and  Happiness 362 

Influence  of  a  Holy  Life 20 

Influence; 44 

Individvial  Responsibility 60 

Influence  of  the  Bible 92 

Illustrious  Examples 186 

Importance  of  Religion 200 

Industrjf  and  Perseverance 230 

Infants  in  Heaven 232 

In  Christ 260 

Infinite  Riches  in  Christ 264 

Immortality 316 

Inspiration  of  the  Cross 344 

Joy  in  Getting  Home 334 

Knowledge 164 

Key  to  Otterbein's  Charadter 176 

Kindliness  of  Spirit 252 

Keeping  Religion 318 

I,ast  Words  of  Geeting 48 

Labor 150 

Last  Words  of  Edwards 17S 

Love 212 

Love  of  Freedom 250 

Lasting  Impressions 328 

Mother 22 

Mind -Food 50 

Moral  Rectitude 56 

Marriage 92 

Ministry  of  Sorrow 128 

Mission  and  Motive 130 

Memory's  Treasures 156 

Money  Value  of  an  Education 180 

Ministerial  Support 182 

Ministers  and  Money  Matters 236 

Mysteries  of  Death 238 

Manliness 264 

Marks  of  Progress 322 

Much  to  be  Done ..  346 

National  Greatness 242 

Nearness  to  God 316 


Otterbein s 

Otterbein's  Humility 82 

On  Giving 140 

Our  Heritage 216 

Our  Boys 386 

Prayer  for  Colleges 32 

Preaching  the  Gospel 32 

Pradlical  Charitv 84 

Piety " 84 

Polluting  the  Air 86 

Pradtical  Christianity 116 

Polite  Children 126 

Providing  for  the  Young 158 

Plain  Preaching 168 

Personal  Integrity 170 

Pradtical  Preaching 176 

Pastoral  Visiting 202 

Plan  in  Diversity , 208 

Preaching  to  Children 226 

Pracftical  Education 234 

Power  of  the  Invisible 240 

Pastor  and  People 244 

Power  of  Godliness 250 

Prevailing  Prayer 268 

Preparation  for  Death 302 

Pradtical  Holiness 324 

Public  Spirit 348 

Parents  and  the  Ministry 364 

Prohibition 394 

Religion  at  Home 18 

Revivals 68 

Responsibility 100 

Realities  of  Heaven 100 

Religion  Needed 222 

Recognition  in  Heaven 224 

Rightfulness  of  Gain 256 

Right  to  be  Happy...*. 330 

Sino^leness  of  Aim ' 48 

Self- Forgetfulness 80 

Spring 108 

Shun  the  Eddying  Current 124 

Sympathy 134 

Success 144 

Separation  from  the  World 160 

Slander  -  Proof. 216 

Success  in  Prayer 266 

Silent  Forces 282 

Source  of  Highest  Joy 294 

Success  in  the  Ministry 298 

Save  the  Drunkard 300 

Shaping  Charadter 314 

Smiles 320 

Settled  Convidtions 342 

Sympathy  With  the  Sorrow^ing 344 

Saved 352 

School  and  Home  Training 354 

Self- Defense  and  Submission 398 

The  New  Year S 

The  Wondrous  Gift 12 


420 


CONTiENTS. 


The  Church  at  Prayer 12 

To  Young  Christians  14 

The  Power  of  Love 14 

The  Highest  Calling i6 

The  True  Manhood 16 

The  Brevity  of  Life iS 

True  Education 24 

The  Christian  Christ-Like 26 

The  Christian  Religion 28 

The  Gospel  of  Christ 30 

To  Parents 30 

To  Young  Men 34 

The  Power  of  Music... 36 

The  Reward 42 

The    College    a    Center    of    Spiritual 

Power 44 

The  Highest  Honor .52 


The  Christian  College 54   164 

The  Meek  in  Heart 56 

The  Courage  of  Faith sS 

To  the  Afflicted 64 

The  Second  Coining  of  Christ 68 

Tendency  of  a  Wrong  Faith 74 

The  Bible  and  the  Ungodlv 78 

The  Gospel  and  the  Heathen 80 

The  Christian's  Golden  Age 82 

The  Duty  of  Total  Abstinence 88 

The  Sunday -School  Teacher 88 

The  Life  to  Come 90 

The  Universe  Vocal  with  Praise 96 

The  Temple  of  Character q6 

The  Bible ^ 

The  Christian  Home 102 

The  Liquor  Traffic .'  104 

The  Value  of  Books 108 

The  Influence  of  One  Act 112 

To  Theological  Students 116 

The  Harvest 118 

The  Inspiration  of  the  Unseen 120 

The  Spring-Time 122 

The  Promises 12^ 

The  New  Birth 132 

The  Minister  and  Education 136 

The  Responsibility  of  Mothers 142 

The  Preaching  for  the  Times 144 

The  Precious  Promises 146 

True  Charity 146 

To  the  Young 14S 

The  S.  S.  Superintendent 152 

The  Responsibilitj- of  Citizenship is2 

The  Palm  Tree „ 156 

The  Church's  Commission 162 

The  Ways  of  the  Infinite 162 

The  Ministry 166 

Two  Characters 182 

The  Lot  Family 1S4 

The  Pastor  in  the  Home 184 

True  Religion iqo 

The  Cry  of  the  Needy iqo 

The  Sabbath 1^ 

The  Mother's  Devotion 196 

The  Best  Knowledge 202 

The  Tears  of  Jesus 206 


The  Highest  Motive 208 

The  Thought  of  God "  212' 

The  Bible  a  Model  Book 214' 

The  Springs  of  True  Joy 218 

The  Worth  of  Souls 220 

Thank  You 220 

The  Tobacco  Habit '.'..'.."  226 

The  Dignity  of  Man 2^8 

The  Masses  and  Education 232 

The  Disregard  of  Conscience 234 

The  Laboring  Man 242 

Two  Choices ;;  244 

The  Liquor  Traffic  Humbug 248 

Ihe  Measure  of  the  Man 252 

The  Pulpit  and  Revivals 2S4 

The  Mother's  Power 262 

The  Minister's  Work ."  266 

The  Battle  and  the  Vicftory 270 

The  Use  of  Talents 274 

The  Power  of  a  Holy  Life 274 

To  Young  Jlinisters 278 

The  Promises  of  God 280 

The  Cry  of  the  Heathen 2S2 

The  Logic  of  Events 284 

The  Chri.stian  Sabbath 286 

The  All-Seeing  Eye 288 

To  Working-Men 288 

The  Joy  of  Unselfish  Service 290 

The  Happj'  Home 202 

The  Wife" :;;;:::  2^ 

The  Chapel  of  the  Manger 296 

To  the  Boys 300 

The  Sunday -School  Teacher ^02 

To  Mothers 306 

The  Object  of  Preaching 308 

The  Kingdom  of  God ciio 

The  Quiet  Life .■.'.■.  310 

To  Students  of  Theology -iia 

True  Wisdom .„ 320 

The  Truth  of  the  Christian  Religion..  324 

The  Baptism  of  Power 326 

The  Tomb  of  Our  Savior 326 

The  Government  of  Children :!:;o 

That  Settles  All „2 

Tribute  to  Otterbein 332 

The  Blessedness  of  Giving 336 

The  Dignity  of  the  Ministry 340 

The  Higher  Training -1^2 

The  Word  of  God....„ 348 

The  Lord's  Prayer 7C2 

The  One  Way.... „6 

The  Children 356 

Thanksgiving- Day 364 

The  Testimony  of  Love 368 

The  Supreme  Doctrine 374 

The  Present  and  the  Future  Life 376 

The  Cross  of  Christ jfs 

Triumphs  of  Christianity 380 

The  Good  Man 382 

The  Church  and  Higher  Education...  382 

The  Commandment  of  Love 384 

Teaching  Children  to  Give 3SS 

The  Supreme  Duty 388 


421 


CONTENTS. 


The  True  Adorning 394 

The  Presence  of  God 398 

The  Flight  of  Years 400 

The  Last  Words  of  Otterbein 400 

The  Influence  of  Jesus 402 

Underlying  Principles 34 

Use  of  the  Past 76 

Vicftory  for  the  Right 26 

Value  of  Opinion 140 

Value  of  College  Training 174 

Value  of  the  Classics 222 

Visitors  and  Church  Attendance 286 

Value  of  Culture 358 

Women  Living  for  Others 44 

Woman's  Work  for  Woman 60 

Willing  Service 86 

We  Must  Educate 94 

Winning  Souls 126 

What  Rum  Does 154 

Women's  Ministry iS5 

Woman's  Suffrage 19S 

Woman's  Desire  for  Africa 206 

Work  for  Willing  Hands 210 

Warning  Against  Drunkenness 22S 

Wisdom  Against  Money 240 

Woman's  Sphere 284 

Workers 290 

Work  for  All 318 

Walking  With  God 350 

Winter 368 

Woman's  Influence 384 

Wise  Counsels  to  the  Young 390 


POEMS. 

A  New  Year  Vision 7 

A  Memory  Pi(5ture 139 

A  Temperance  Hymn 172 

A  Prayer 339 

A  Christmas  Greeting 371 

Christmas 370 

For  the  Master's  Sake 41S 

Gather  the  Harvest  In 238 

Going  Home  at  Last 238 

He  Leadeth  Me 72 

He  Worketh  With  Us 398 

Let  Me  Stay  in  His  Presence 239 

Our  Praise 43 

Posthumous  Praise 205 

Remember  Him  Now 107 

Recompense 173 

The  Truth  of  God  Prevaileth 41 

Thy  Will 138 

The  Daj^s  that  are  Yet  to  Be 278 

Thy  Disciple 304 

Vanquished 305 

Winter  Solstices 40 


422 


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^heOtterbein  birthday  book   con.. 


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